


Please Drink Responsibly

by enjayas



Series: Please Drink Responsibly [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Complete, Drinking, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Go-Go Daddy Shiro, Keith (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, klance, klangst, lance is best boy, slow burn memes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-09-20 20:46:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 42,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9514295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enjayas/pseuds/enjayas
Summary: The members of the Voltron crew are in their early twenties, and like many in their youth, they don't drink responsibly...Lance insists he never blacks out. Keith calls bullshit. Lance decides he’s going to prove it. Drinking ensues, they share a drunk bonding moment, but how much does Lance actually remember?1.5 oz drunk Lance1.0 oz Keith’s unrequited crushShake vigorouslyAdd a dash of ambiguity and mixed signals then leave to slow burn...





	1. The Bonding Moment

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the PDR AU! There are seven stories in this series so far and counting! 
> 
> 1\. Please Drink Responsibly  
> 2\. Please Switch Responsibly  
> 3\. Please Get F*cked Responsibly  
> 4\. Birthday Sex  
> 5\. Please Sext Responsibly  
> 6\. Red  
> 7\. Please Menage a Shiro Responsibly
> 
> Read as few or as many as you like! This story (PDR) is a drunk AU take on _The Bonding Moment_. 
> 
>  
> 
> @EvinDERP on Twitter drew me a cover ["Come get me, Lance."](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/166158107299/clandestineknight-picture-for-my-dear) I AM SHOOK.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to check out the art for this story in the notes at the end of every chapter!
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated! :)

Keith Kogane found himself in a situation that had become all too routine of late: Acting as the primary caretaker and escort home for one very drunk Lance McClain. Trying to drink as much as possible without blacking out had become Lance's favorite game, and he'd chosen Keith to be the referee.

Keith had foolishly picked a fight with Lance over his drinking habits.

“What? I never black out! How dare you! I always remember everything the next day!” Lance had insisted mid-argument.

Keith rolled his eyes. “There’s no way that’s true! I’ve seen you falling-on-your-ass wasted, like irresponsibly inebriated.”

“Hey, I may get fucked up, but I know my limits!” Lance stood firm.

“Sure you do...” Keith said, voice dripping with disbelief.

“Yeah? Well then I guess I’ll just have to prove it to you! AND I’ll prove that I don’t black out either!” Lance threatened. Keith hadn't meant to rile him up, but once Lance got an idea in his head, there was little that could be done to stop him.

“Okay Lance, prove it! Sounds like a great idea! What could possibly go wrong?” Keith spat sarcastically, his own anger flaring.

“It’s an excellent idea, thank you very much! I have a system and there are very clear rules.”

“A system? Uhh…” Keith had an inkling he was being roped into something he didn’t want to be a part of.

“We’re gonna use checkpoints. You give me random words while I’m drinking, then the next day, I’ll recall all of them and prove that I can be shit-faced and still remember everything," Lance explained. "But they have to be random words, not things that came up in conversation. Also-”

“Hold on. You want me to babysit you while you get progressively drunker and the end goal is to blackout?” Keith looked at Lance like he was crazy. “No thanks, not signing up for that.” 

“No no no . I _won’t_ black out! That’s the point!” Lance gesticulated like it was obvious.

“Lance, do you know how annoying you are when you’re drunk?”

“We’re doing this for science, Keith! Stop interfering with science!”

“One time. I’ll help you ONE time, just to show you what a bad idea this is,” had been Keith’s famous last words. 

 

Stumbling home with his intoxicated friend hanging off his arm, Keith wondered for the umpteinth time how Lance had managed to charm him into being a part of his idiotic drinking game. It was already the fifth time he’d gone drinking with Lance and delivered him checkpoints. Or, maybe it was the sixth... He'd lost count. Either way, he should have known better than to get involved.

“Ah- Turn here,” Keith turned Lance by the shoulders, directing him down a path. “Shortcut through the park, remember?” Thanks to Lance being a terrible influence, Keith had had more drinks than usual that night and had nearly missed the turn himself.

“Aww, thanks! You’re the best!” Lance cried drunkenly and enthusiastically hugged Keith, earning a grunt and an annoyed glance.

“Anytime. Let’s just get you home.” Keith firmed his grip on Lance’s arm, more to keep him from running off and being a drunk fool than to help him keep his balance.

“Hey! Gimme another checkpoint!”

“Again? I gave you one when left the party.”

“I know, but the last drink is hitting me. Come on Keith, I have to prove I never black out!” He tugged on Keith’s arm.

“I’m pretty sure you’re blacking out already or will be soon...” Keith recalled watching Lance down the last half of a Long Island on their way out the door.

“Pleeeeeeeaaaaase!” Lance wailed, latching onto Keith in a bear hug.

“Ugh, fine!” Keith relented, shoving against Lance’s fierce hug. “Balmera.”

“Noooooo! You've used that one before! That’s against the rules! No repeats!” Lance began shaking Keith, who sighed exasperatedly.

“See? I remembered! Cuz I NEVER BLACK OUT! HOOO!!!” Lance screamed to the sky, shooting his arms overhead victoriously. He gasped, suddenly distracted. “A jungle gym!” He cried in delight and slipped free of Keith's grip to run as fast as his drunk legs would let him towards the playset.

“Lance! No!” Keith chased after him.

He caught up as Lance was struggling to climb the structure, unable to find the coordination to move his arms and legs in sync. Keith had to stifle a laugh at the sight. It was by far the most intoxicated Keith had ever seen him.

“Climb this rocket with me, Keith. Let's be astronauts!” 

“You're not climbing. You're not an astronaut. And you're definitely blacking out right now,” Keith concluded.

“Am not!” Lance protested defiantly.

“Oh, I'd put money on it.”

“Yeah? Tell me a secret then if you’re so zu-zu-shzure,” Lance slurred.

“How about no,” Keith replied.

“See? You won’t cuz you know I never black out! I winnnnn!” He gloated, losing his balance on the structure. Keith put out his hand just in time to stop Lance’s head from smashing into the metal frame. He breathed Lance’s name under his breath like a curse word while his oblivious friend, now bored with the jungle gym, swayed on his feet in front of Keith.

“No, Keith, I want a secret this time! It’s time to up the stakes or you’ll never believe me,” Lance demanded. 

“What are you even talking about?” He watched with mild irritation as Lance started spinning in circles, marveled at how dizzy he was, then spun the other way to see if it negated the effect. 

As annoying as the last few outings with Lance had been, Keith had to admit he admired what a happy drunk Lance was. He could find amusement in anything. The world was one big game to him. Keith's irritation gave way to a smile as warm admiration spread through his body.

“A secret Keith!” Lance shouted as he nearly fell over.

_He can be really obnoxious though..._

Keith reminded himself and tried to stuff away any feelings of endearment he had for Lance. He needed to get the idiot home and said idiot’s short attention span and propensity for distraction weren’t helping. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage. He needed to hold Lance’s attention, and Keith knew that the best way to hold Lance McClain's attention was to bait him.

“Here’s a secret for you: I’m a complete idiot,” Keith laid out as bait.

Lance stopped spinning and looked at Keith confused, his body still drifting from residual dizziness. “Huh? “That’s not really a secret, Keith.”

“You calling me an idiot?”

“You called yourself an idiot!” Lance paused. “But why are you an idiot?”

“Oh, I have a really good reason why," Keith said enticingly and walked towards Lance, holding eye contact. 

“Yeah? Wh-What is it?”

 _Because I fell for an even bigger idiot like you..._

Keith ignored a twinge in his stomach. Lance was interested. His plan was working, at least.

“Nope, no follow-up questions.” He put up his hand and broke eye contact while continuing past Lance, hoping to lure him in the direction of their destination. 

“No! I wanna know!”

“Too bad. You never will,” Keith shook his head, indicating there would be no further discussion and kept walking. It had taken Keith a long time to admit his feelings for Lance to himself. He wasn't about to share them with anyone else, even if it somehow helped get Lance home faster.

“Keeeeiiith, that not fair!” Lance stumbled after him reaching for his friend’s shoulder, but he misjudged the distance and tripped into the other man. Keith grabbed his friend and struggled to keep him on his feet. Lance struggled too but in completely unhelpful ways. Keith realized they were losing the battle to stay upright, so he wrapped both arms around Lance and used what momentum he could to roll the two of them safely to the ground. Keith landed on his back on the ground, Lance landed sideways at a skewed angle on top of Keith.

“Oops, I fell!” Lance announced as though he’d done a trick.

Keith let out a frustrated sigh. 

_So much for that plan..._

“Keith, why are you on the ground?!” Lance asked genuinely surprised.

Keith’s frustration quickly dissolved into laughter. “Oh my god, I am the biggest idiot for dealing your drunk ass all the time!”

Lance rolled to the side of his friend. “Nah, you love my drunk ass. Everybody loves drunk Lance!” He yelled, arms extended.

“You have no idea how much I do. There's a real secret for you.” Keith stiffened, realizing what he'd said. He'd just told himself there was no way in hell he was going to tell anyone about his feelings, let alone Lance... He had a sudden realization that he was nowhere near as sober as he’d thought.

“Wait, you what?” Lance asked.

_Oh shit..._

“Nothing, Lance,” Keith maintained himself. 

“Hmmm, I think you just implied you love me,” Lance said with a sly grin.

“Sure Lance, not like you’re going to remember tomorrow anyway.” Keith, still laying on the grass, rubbed his eyes. “It’s late, can we go h-”

“HE LOVES ME!!!” Lance jumped up and shouted at the top of his lungs, flailing his arms in victory again.

“Don’t shout it so loud!” 

“It’s okay! I’M NOT GONNA REMEMBER!” 

“But the rest of the world will!” Keith sat up to check that the park was empty.

Upon turning back to his friend, Keith saw he’d started spinning in circles again.

“LANCE,” Keith said firmly as he reached for one of Lance's legs to get him to stop spinning. 

“He loves me!” Lance looked down and told him as though he wasn’t the one who said it. Keith was pretty sure he was just repeating the last thing he heard.

“Yeah, he loves you like crazy. Now let’s go home please.” Keith moved to get up but was quickly tackled into a hug.

“Thanks, buddy! I love you too!” Lance proclaimed, squishing Keith into the ground again and squeezing the air out of him.

When Lance sat back from attacking him, Keith, though dazed, was acutely aware that Lance was nearly straddling him. Between the alcohol, late hour, and Lance’s weight on top of him, Keith’s inhibitions were blunted. 

“No, you idiot. I mean it like this.” He reached up and gently placed his hand against Lance’s cheek, cupping his face. They locked eyes for a frightening moment. Keith went breathless as he traced Lance’s jawline with his fingers. He brushed his thumb over Lance’s impossibly smooth cheek for a second before his inhibitions caught up to him. He quickly pulled back. Keith was finding it hard to swallow, certain Lance couldn't have mistaken the meaning this time.

Lance’s face was unreadable in the dark night. Keith started to think he’d made a horrible mistake. 

“Forget it,” he tore his eyes away and moved to get up, but Lance rested more weight against him, pushing him into the cold ground. Lance picked up the hand that had been against his face and turned it over in his lap, inspecting it. His fingers were hot against Keith’s palm. Keith wondered if Lance was aware he was now _completely_ straddling him.

“You love me…” Lance paused, still contemplating Keith’s hand, “...like this.” He pressed Keith’s palm flush against his cheek. 

Keith couldn’t tell if it was a statement or a question or if Lance was just repeating things. He was a deer caught in the headlights. His brain scrambled to find something to say. 

“I- uh-” His hand was burning against Lance’s face, but he was too paralyzed to move, torn between wanting to crawl out of his skin and not wanting the present moment to end.

An eyebrow twitched mischievously on Lance’s face. He slid Keith's hand down across his cheek.

"You love me...” he brushed Keith’s fingers over his lips, “...like this.” Hot breath enveloped Keith’s fingertips, causing his abs to tighten. Lance parted his lips slightly and let one fingertip slip into his mouth. A small moan escaped Keith as Lance gently grazed the digit with his tongue. Lance paused and pulled the hand back for a moment, watching Keith’s reaction. 

Keith stared wide-eyed. The smirk on Lance’s face made him wonder if this was just another one of Lance's games.

“Like this?” Lance asked again. He breathed hotly against Keith’s finger and ran his tongue up its length from knuckle to fingertip. Every muscle in Keith's body tightened. He gripped the outside Lance's thigh in surprise with his other hand.

“Oh my god, yes! Like that!" Keith admitted freely. He would have admitted anything if Lance kept doing that.

Lance closed his lips around the fingertip and slowly pulled it out of his mouth. He leaned over his friend, moving his face closer.

“You love me,” he stated this time, “like _this?_ ” Lance suddenly shoved Keith’s hand in-between his legs and held it there. Keith had a fraction of a second to gasp in shock before Lance’s lips covered his own. It took Keith, who was still stuck on the fact that his hand was on Lance's crotch, a moment to realize they were kissing. His brain flashed between kiss, hand, kiss, hand, and then: tongue. Suddenly, he couldn't think at all. Lance’s tongue was in his mouth, wet, sloppy, and drunken.

Lance pressed his weight into Keith’s hips. Keith broke from the kiss with a groan in the back of his throat. Lance moved to his neck, causing Keith to breathe out sharply at the sensation of Lance’s lips and tongue colliding with his skin. 

Keith could feel Lance getting harder against his palm through his skinny jeans. He moved his hand along the hardening mass. In response, Lance slid his hand up Keith’s thigh and over his crotch. Keith pushed his hips up into Lance’s hand and let his head fall back. Lance fumbled awkwardly at the button on Keith's pants. Keith shifted, giving him better access.

 _Oh shit, this is happening..._

Keith held his breath as he felt his fly unzip and Lance's hand dart over the fabric of his boxer briefs. His abs pulled tight in anticipation. 

The anticipation seemed to drag on forever. Time felt like it had stopped. And then suddenly, the moment was very quiet and still. Keith peered down at the face buried in his neck, then at the motionless hand at his waistband.

“Lance?” Keith shook the man on top of him. A raspy breath and a snort met his neck. Keith quickly pushed Lance off of him. The drunk man’s head lolled to the side as he rolled onto the grass, deep in slumber. Lance had completely passed out. 

Keith stared at him, mouth agape. He ran his hands through his hair trying to process what had just happened. A slew of questions flooded his mind. Questions he was too inebriated to deal with in that moment.

He stared at his hand. A hand that mere moments ago had been pawing at Lance’s dick. He turned to look at his blissfully passed out friend. 

“What the _fuck_ , Lance?” He whispered fiercely as he buttoned his pants. 

“I bet you claim you don’t pass out either, you jerk.” Keith glared at Lance, but his sleeping face softened his expression.

“Ugh... Why are the hell do I like you so much??” Keith complained to the sleeping man.

With a sigh, he hoisted Lance over his shoulder and carried the drunk bastard home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Lance... can you not... ;)
> 
> Art!  
> [ You love me... like this ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/161281007819/kraftypants-you-love-me-like-this-fromfor)Fanart from @kraftypants on Tumblr who captured this scene PERFECTLY.  
> 


	2. Flying Solo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith goes home and works out some tension. Explicit content warning.

Keith staggered up to the door of Lance and Hunk’s apartment slightly out of breath and with an unconscious Lance slung awkwardly over one shoulder. He blindly fished a set of keys out of Lance’s jacket pocket and struggled to unlock the apartment door in the dim light. Shrugging to shift Lance’s dead weight, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open as quietly as he could with one foot. 

He moved mechanically once inside, tiptoeing to Lance's room and unceremoniously dropping the sleeping lump onto his bed. Keith rolled Lance onto his side, made a cursory attempt to cover him with a blanket, left a glass of water on the nightstand, then made a beeline for the door. On past occasions, he’d crashed on the couch so they could go over the checkpoints the next day, but given the evening's events, he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. He didn’t plan on being there in the morning to see Lance’s reaction.

 

The short trek home felt much longer that it should have. He walked quickly in the quiet night with only the sound of his brisk strides hitting the pavement to distract him from his thoughts. It was a struggle to keep his mind from spinning out. What the hell had just happened? Would Lance even remember it? If he did, how badly would it affect their friendship? A barrage of questions pelted Keith’s tired brain. He forced them out of his head. Panicking was for tomorrow.

 _But damn, it felt so good..._

He felt the tension rising again as his mind drifted back to the look on Lance’s face. He bit his lip and picked up the pace, eager to get home.

 

Once back at his place, Keith hastily kicked his shoes off, shrugged out of his jacket, and marched straight into his bedroom. He leaned against the tightly shut door, unzipped his pants, and gripped himself. A long-held breath escaped him as he made one long stroke down his cock. His shoulders slackened with the release of tension. He gave himself one more breath-catching, full-length stroke before falling onto his bed.

His back hit the mattress with a thump, his body hot against the cool sheets. He mentally put himself back in the park with Lance’s weight pressing down on top of him, Lance’s smooth skin still fresh in his mind. Tracing his fingers across his own face, he remembered the feel of Lance’s hot, drunk-flushed cheek and moaned to himself. He brushed his fingers over his lips, breathing faster as his other hand moved fluidly up and down his shaft.

He tightened his grip, and slid a finger- the same finger- into his mouth and rolled his tongue against it. He groaned as he sucked his index and middle fingers, embellishing the events of the night. The thought of Lance sucking his fingers like that… He stifled a groan and dug his heels into the mattress, gaining leverage to push his hips into his hand. He pulled his fingers out of his mouth, gasping for breath, and looked at the slickened fingers.

He closed his eyes and dropped his head back as his memory advanced to the kiss. That’s right, Lance had kissed him! He smirked to himself as a wave of adrenaline swept over him. Rolling his tongue in his mouth and pumping hard on his cock, he relived the moment their tongues had touched. He remembered the drunkenness and the frantic, unexpected lust of the moment, Lance’s body above him, his own hand gripping Lance’s cock through his jeans, Lance pulling the fly of his pants open... 

Keith felt himself getting close and thrust harder into his hand. He licked his already-wet fingers between ragged breaths and touched them against his neck where Lance’s mouth had made contact earlier that night. He came abruptly, breathing Lance’s name between curses.

Keith lay panting on his bed, staring into space in his dark room as he recovered. He grit his teeth and shoved one hand over his eyes in frustration.

_Fuck... I am in deep..._

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes was my writing rusty. It only gets better from here.
> 
> Art!
> 
> [PDR Comic!](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/168436879084/please-drink-responsibly-comic-art-by) Just the first two chapters for now, in case you need some help um... visualizing. :)  
> 


	3. An Awkward Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys talk the next day, but how much does Lance remember?

The next morning, Keith blinked into consciousness and squinted at the light coming in through his window. He shielded his eyes and groaned at the pain in his head. He was hungover as hell, but his throat was too annoyingly dry to go back to sleep, so he stumbled to the bathroom to get some water. The fluorescent light reflecting off the tiles blinded him temporarily. He drank from a cup while his eyes adjusted. His reflection slowly came into view as he refilled his cup. His eyes hazily focused.

 _The hell is on my neck?_ He wondered groggily, wiping at it with his hand. His eyes grew wide and his pupils contracted to pinpoints as memories of the previous night filled his brain. 

Oh shit! Oh no. NO. NO. NO.” Keith grasped the sides of his head and began pacing around his apartment despite the pain in his head, a string of curse words tumbling out his mouth. 

What had he told Lance? _Why_ had he told Lance? How much of it did he remember? And why did he respond like that? Did it mean anything? Was he just fucking with him?

“Fuck, Lance. Why?” His dumb secret crush was probably not so secret anymore. Would Lance hate him? Had he ruined everything? 

He took several deep breaths, trying to work through the anxiety, when a thought crossed his mind. When his hand had been pressed against Lance’s crotch, there had been something there. He stopped pacing abruptly. Yes, he had definitely felt something through that denim. His heart skipped a beat.

“Why were you hard?” He blurted into his living room.

_Is he into me? I mean he…_

 _with his tongue..._

_and his hand…_

_and my neck!_

He brushed the marks with his fingertips. 

_He's gotta be..._

Keith’s heart beat hopefully, but he shook his head and quickly cut himself off from that train of thought. He knew better than to get his hopes up over straight boys.

 _He was drunk and he’s a shameless flirt. I know it’s confusing, but he was just caught up in the moment and probably too fucked up to realize what he was doing..._

Keith tried to convince himself. Even for Lance though, it was a new level of ridiculous.

As the panic subsided to a manageable level, he paced back into the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face and pressed it into a towel. He exhaled deeply and gripped the edges of the sink, staring at his himself in the mirror. He turned his head and grimaced at the two reddish-purple marks on his neck. 

“Ugh, Lance, you vampire,” he said disapprovingly to his reflection. He hadn’t had to hide a hickey in years.

His phone vibrated in his bedroom. Usually, they would get coffee while Lance recited all the checkpoints. Keith picked up his phone with growing dread and, sure enough, there were texts from Lance waiting for him.

Lance: hey where are you?  
Lance: Keeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiitttttttthhhhhhhjjj  
Lance: WAKE UP!!!!  
Lance: ARE YOU DEAD????????  


Keith’s mind was spinning. He needed to find a way out of seeing Lance.

Keith: not dead. hungover.  
Lance: HE LIVES \o/  
Lance: coffee is great for that!  
Lance: I’m leaving for the usual. see you in 10  
Keith: I don’t think I can...  
Lance: Noooo! we gotta go over the checkpoints!  
Lance: KEITH  
Lance: I NEED YOU  


Butterflies erupted in his stomach after reading the last message, but he quickly stuffed them back down. He typed and deleted three different excuses to avoid meeting up. He quickly scrapped the plan to avoid Lance for as long as possible; it would be impossible with someone so insistent. He decided the best thing would be to show up and hope that Mr. I-Never-Black-Out’s memory was sufficiently compromised. He texted Lance to confirm he was on his way, wrapped a scarf around his neck to hide the egregious marks on his neck, and headed out.

Lance: good, bc like I reeeeaaally need to talk to you about last night... 

“Fuck,” said Keith.

 

 

“You’re later than usual today,” Pidge remarked as she handed Keith his regular coffee. 

“Rough night. Don’t ask,” Keith responded moodily.

“Is that why you look like shit?” She smirked.

“Does your manager let you talk to customers like that?” Keith chided as he handed her cash. “Is he here?” He asked, trying not to sound nervous.

“Drunky McDrunkface? That way,” she pointed.

Keith spotted Lance at a table by the window in the direction Pidge had pointed. He felt his heartbeat pulsing in his ears more and more with each step as he crossed the cafe. Lance was leaning studiously over a notebook. Keith's heart almost jumped out of his chest when Lance looked up and made eye contact.

“Good morning, sunshine! How’s the hangover?” He flashed his trademark shit-eating grin. Keith’s eyes immediately flitted to Lance’s lips.

“H-Hey,” Keith’s voice broke. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. 

“Wow, you look rough.”

“Yeah, I drank a little more than I meant to.” His own voice sounded far away. Keith sat quietly at the table while Lance finished writing some notes. He analyzed Lance’s every move for any indication that he had retained memories of the previous night, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Lance finished writing and held the notebook in front of himself, satisfied with his work.

“Okay Keith, I present to you my list of checkpoints and the locations I believe each of them were delivered,” he said in an overly professorial voice. He turned his notepad 180 degrees and slid it across the table, pointing with his pencil as he enumerated the checkpoints.

Keith’s mind was processing a lot of information, none of which was the list of checkpoints in front of him. Lance was acting completely normal, but he’d said in his text that he wanted to talk about last night. What else could there be to talk about? He was either totally unfazed or… 

_Oh god, please don't let him be messing with me..._

“Earth to Keith?” Lance was leaning down with his face near the table looking up at him.

“Wha-? Sorry!” Keith focused his eyes on the list.

“Man, you really are out of it!”

Keith read over the list while Lance fiddled restlessly with one of his mechanical pencils. It ended at Balmera, the last checkpoint before things had gotten physical. So, Lance remembered being in the park, if not more... The extent of his memory was dangerously close to the events Keith hoped he wouldn’t be able to recall.

“Yeah, looks good. You got all of them.” He smiled apprehensively at his friend, wanting to get it over with quickly.

Lance peered at Keith for a long moment. “Really? You’re gonna let me off that easy?” He crossed his arms and looked disappointed. 

Keith froze.

 _Oh no, he is messing with me..._

“U-uh...” was all he could stutter out. 

“This checkpoint was still in the park.” Lance pointed at ‘Balmera’. “You always give me one more at the end of the night when we get home.”

Keith swallowed hard.

“Where is it, Keith?”

“Uh… Well...”

Lance grinned broadly. “Did drink too much last night? Did you forget to give me the last checkpoint?”

“No. I didn’t forget,” Keith said flatly, eyes narrowing. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re pressing me for clues. What’s wrong, Lance, can’t remember something?” He said trying to flip the situation back on his friend. But why did he suggest there was something Lance may have forgotten? His heart leapt at his own recklessness.

They squinted at each other in an apparent standoff, each probing the other for information. 

_Either he doesn’t remember and is trying to figure out what the last checkpoint is, or he does remember and he’s trying to gauge my reaction or mess with me or something..._

_But I’m not sure which…_

Several moments passed in near-silence. Lance’s chair squeaked in time with his fidgeting, which was making Keith uneasy.

Lance sighed uncomfortably and broke the tension. “Alright Keith, so about last night...”

_So he does remember..._

Keith's stomach turned.

“This is what you wanted to talk about, right?” Keith asked, trying to hide a cringe. 

Lance nodded. Keith mentally prepared himself for the awkward conversation he’d been dreading and the inevitable rejection that would follow.

“So we were in the park, and then like… how do I say this...” Lance rubbed his forehead and struggled to find the right words. He looked at Keith with an apologetic, almost remorseful expression. Keith had his poker face on and was ready to hear Lance admit it was all a drunken mistake.

“Aw, man.” Lance let out a frustrated groan. “Look, I hate having to admit this, but I can’t actually remember getting home or the last checkpoint... so I’m kinda worried I really did black out.” He slumped and looked disappointed in himself.

“Oh,” Keith said surprised and blinked at him. It was not what he had been expecting. The knot in his stomach relaxed a bit. He even almost chuckled at Lance’s pouty expression. “Well, you’re not wrong. Technically, that was the last checkpoint.”

“Wait, really?” Lance perked up. “I’ve been racking my brain all morning trying to remember getting home.” He peered at his notes again.

“Ah, DON’T!” Keith said a bit too loudly, putting a hand over the list. Lance looked at him inquisitively. “Ah, that is… you… you passed out. You passed out in the park. I carried you home.”

“I passed out?! That’s so awesome!” Lance smacked the table with one hand, attracting stares from nearby tables. “Oh man, I really was drunk!” Lance guffawed.

“Mmhmm,” Keith nodded in agreement, unable to believe his luck. It appeared Lance didn’t remember any of the sordid details. He sipped his coffee and sighed deeply, the knot is his stomach dissipating now that there was no need to have an uncomfortable conversation. They could carry on like nothing ever happened. Yes, this was the ideal outcome. So then, why did he feel so disappointed? He caught himself wishing for a passing moment that Lance had remembered. There were so many questions he wanted answers to. No, this was definitely the best outcome, he assured himself.

Keith watched Lance scribble something about passing out in his notes. He smiled at how seriously he was taking this. Lance was being downright scientific about the whole thing, and it reminded Keith why he liked him so much. His ability to steadfastly see through even the stupidest of ideas was both admirable and mind-boggling. Keith wondered fondly how he had ever fallen for such an idiot.

“Phew! So all I gotta do is recall what happened between the last checkpoint and when I passed out.”

“What?! Is that necessary?” Keith snapped out of his thoughts and tightly gripped his coffee with both hands, his sense of relief disintegrating. 

“Uh, yeah!” Lance replied. “I gotta try to remember everything up until I lost consciousness to make sure I didn’t black out! Now let’s see,” he tapped his chin, a mischievous smirk creeping over his face. 

Keith watched in horror as Lance’s attempted to jog his memory.

“I remember you tried to give me Balmera as a checkpoint, but tsk tsk, Keith, you’d used that one before.” He pointed with his pencil to where he’d written ‘Balmera’ and struck it through twice with ‘Bad Keith!’ written in the margin. “So…” He snapped his fingers, remembering. “You told me a secret instead.” He took his notebook back and added ‘secret’ to the list.

“Uh-huh,” Keith responded, his intonation a nervous pitch higher on the second syllable. Lance’s train of thought barreled forward. Keith was desperate to knock him off course and briefly considered spilling his coffee on Lance’s notebook.

“The secret was…” Lance closed his eyes to focus. Keith was coming out of his skin waiting to see if he remembered. “You’re an idiot.” Lance deadpanned, opening his eyes and looking Keith square in the face. “No, you’re a _complete_ idiot.” 

Keith felt caught. He knew his crush was dumb, but he was a little taken aback that Lance was being a dick about it.

“That was the secret right?” Lance asked.

“Oh, y-yeah. That is- That is what I said.” Keith nodded, remembering the first secret he had told Lance.

_False alarm..._

“Hah! Knew it! I am a drunk genius!” Lance sang to himself. 

“Oh wait!” Keith braced himself again. “First there was the jungle gym, then the secret, and then I spun in circles!” He snickered in amusement at his own antics and added them to the list.

“Yes, drunk-Lance was out in spectacular form,” Keith said straight-faced, unable to believe what was happening and feeling powerless to stop it.

“Okay, what else,” Lance mused. He closed his eyes again and tapped his pencil against his cheek. He paused for a moment, then resumed tapping it against his lips. Keith watched the writing implement bounce off his fleshy lower lip. Lance bit the end of the pencil and rolled it in his mouth, still lost in thought. Keith crossed his legs and tried to force his mind out of the gutter. Lance cocked his head and repeated the pattern, dragging the pencil across his cheek, brushing it over his lips, and ending with it in his mouth. Keith couldn’t help but notice that the pattern closely resembled the path his fingers had traced the night before. His heart crept into his throat.

“Lance…??”

Lance finished his contemplation and opened his eyes. “Nope, falling down spinning in circles. That’s the last thing I remember. So Keith,” he put his hands together as though in prayer. “I’m gonna ask you, putting my reputation and drunk cred on the line, is this where I passed out?” He slid Keith his notes and resumed the prayerful pose.

Keith considered the list skeptically. Given the movements Lance had absentmindedly made with his pencil, he was certain the memory was buried somewhere in his subconscious. It was possible that Lance could recall it at any moment.

“Are you sure that's everything? You don't remember _anything_ else… in the park?” Keith gave him one last chance to remember. 

Lance looked uneasy for a moment then regained his confident grin. “Hmm... That's a trick question. Not buying it.”

Keith observed Lance for a few moments. He'd never looked this nervous while going over checkpoints before. His fidgeting was off the charts.

_He’s worried he’s forgetting something, but he’s trying to downplay it. Well, he is forgetting something. He really did black out, but he doesn’t know it. Oh, I could give him so much shit for this and shut his arrogant ass up forever about his infallible drunk memory..._

 _And… I could find out how he really feels, or if he feels anything at all..._

Keith pretended to review the list one more time. He clenched his jaw and made a decision. He sat up straight, filled his lungs, and looked Lance in the eye before he spoke.

“I am pleased to inform you, Lance McClain, that your reputation and ‘drunk cred’ ” he said with mocking finger quotes, “remain intact. This is exactly when you passed out and I hauled your sorry ass home.” Keith managed a small smile to mask his sadness. It was better this way, he told himself, trying to ignore the void he’d ripped open in his heart.

“Fuck yeah!” Lance slapped both hands on the table in celebration, sending his pencils skittering across the floor and nearly spilling both their drinks.

“Man, that’s such a relief! I was really worried there was something I forgot. You really had me for a minute there.”

“You really had me for a minute too,” Keith said under his breath, thinking of the previous night.

“What?”

Keith didn’t say anything further. He leaned down to pick up the pencils. As Keith reached, the scarf fell away from his neck.

“ _Holy shit_ , what happened to your neck!?” Lance asked loudly, drawing concerned glances from other cafe patrons.

Keith grabbed the pencils and sat up quickly, pulling the scarf tight around his neck again. “ _Nothing_ ,” he insisted moodily. 

“No way that’s nothing. Show me.”Lance reached across the table and pulled at the scarf to get a view of the bruises. He gasped playfully, exaggerated shock on his face. 

Keith felt his face burning up.

“Damn, you didn’t have those when we left the party!” Lance shouted gleefully, grabbing the notebook to scribble something. “Keith, you got up to something last night, didn’t you.” He waggled his eyebrows and pointed at his addition of ‘KEITH GOT SOME’ at the bottom of the list. 

_Yeah, some of you, almost…_

Keith's insides twisted. 

“Did that guy from the party text you after you took me home?” Lance asked excitedly.

“No,” Keith said firmly, crossing his arms and glaring at Lance. 

“Ohhhhh, I see. _You_ texted him.” Lance made an obnoxious ‘ooOOoo’ noise.

“I did not.” Keith tore his eyes away from Lance to look out the window and hoped he was succeeding at looking more furious than heartbroken.

“Yeah you did, don’t be shy about it.” Lance smiled at him knowingly. “I wondered why you weren’t on my couch this morning.

Keith chanced a glance at the source of his misery.

“So, how was it?” Lance asked with glee.

“Oh my god,” Keith buried his face in his hands. One day, he would look back and laugh at the irony of this situation, he told himself, but living through the actual moment was nothing short of mortifying.

“Hey, don’t be embarrassed.” Lance laughed, grabbing and shaking his shoulder. “I’m glad you got some action for once.”

“I _didn’t_. ” Keith protested from beneath his hands. 

_But I really wish I had..._

“Pfff, liar, liar, pants on fire. Your neck and sleep-deprived state say otherwise, Keith.” Lance declared smugly.

“Lance, please, _please_ shut up,” Keith begged.

“Alright, alright. I’m done torturing you.” Lance laughed and relented as he tucked his notes in his bag. “I gotta run now, but seriously, you need to stop getting so worked up over things like, well, things like this,” he said, playfully flicking Keith's neck.

_Like this. Like this. Like this._

The phrase rang in Keith’s ears as Lance left the cafe.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know how I'm doing in the comments!
> 
> Hit me up on Tumblr @Badsuki or Twitter @enjayas_writes


	4. Give Me Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KeithAngst.txt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep splitting chapters in two because they're getting long. I have an end game, I promise!

It had been a miserable week for Keith. He’d been extremely on edge and feeling completely antisocial. He was even avoiding his friends and had skipped their regular hangouts, opting instead to spend most of his spare time wrapped in a blanket listening to moody breakup music. Even though there had been no real breakup, it echoed his mood perfectly.

The bulk of Keith’s moodiness stemmed from still not knowing where things stood with Lance. He couldn't stop thinking about the moment they had shared. It blew his mind that it had really happened, so much so that he sometimes wondered if he hadn't dreamed the whole thing up. The stupidest grin spread over his face every time he reminded himself that it had been real. Even more unbelievable though, was that Lance didn't remember it at all. On second thought, Keith decided it was totally believable. It sounded exactly like something Lance would do.

By all outward appearances, things with Lance were completely normal. Keith's phone buzzed throughout the day with typical nonsense texts from his oblivious friend. He responded to them minimally for the first few days. The usual chatter was tolerable and didn't sting too much. Keith was slowly warming up to the idea of keeping their moment as a private memory and continuing their friendship normally. But then, Lance sent him one particular text, and Keith knew it was impossible to pretend things hadn’t changed.

Lance: how’s this pic? hot or not?

An image of Lance in a light blue shirt that clung loosely to his frame with a low enough neckline to show some collarbone appeared on his phone. Keith’s eyes took in Lance’s tanned skin, soft brown hair, and cocky sideways smile. His blue eyes looked up into the camera and bored a hole through Keith. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him.

He could handle the dumb jokes and mindless banter. He could handle Lance’s infatuation with memes and silly gifs. But this... This was too much. Keith declared defeat.

Keith: fuck  
Keith: you’re perfect

Keith held his breath and waited anxiously for Lance to respond.

Lance: Jeez, no need to be sarcastic...

Keith let out a wry laugh. Of course Lance didn’t get that he was being sincere.

_He doesn’t see you like that... He’ll never see you like that..._

Keith typed ‘ I wasn’t ’ but didn’t send it. He groaned, tossing his phone aside, and crawled back under his blanket. Having a crush on your best friend was hard enough without their cute as fuck selfies being flaunted in your face. He ignored Lance’s messages entirely after that.

 

After another day of wallowing, Keith was starting to feel more pathetic than sorry for himself. He needed to snap himself out of his funk. His phone had been buzzing intermittently since the day before, when he'd stopped reading Lance's texts, and the pressure of a stack of unread messages was weighing on him. He decided to drag himself to the gym, promising that it would make him feel better as he begrudgingly packed his gym bag.

His phone buzzed as he packed to leave. 

Keith ignored it. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket on the way to the gym.

He didn’t check it. 

His phone beckoned him several times in a row, nearly wiggling itself off the locker room bench, as he changed into workout clothes. Lance’s name flashed in the notifications bar.

Keith snatched up his phone, set it to silent, and chucked it into a locker with his bag. He slammed the locker shut, not wanting any more distractions. No more thinking about Lance.

 

A couple hours of hitting a punching bag and lifting weights later, he was thoroughly exhausted and dripping with sweat, but it had done the trick. He finally felt a little better.

He sat on a bench in the locker room with a towel draped over his shoulder and enjoyed the clear feeling in his head. Finally up for human interaction, he checked his phone.

35+ messages and 9 missed calls. 

And not just from Lance. Hunk, Pidge, and even Shiro and Allura had called him.

Keith sat up straight and flipped through his messages, worried there was an emergency.

Hunk: Hey buddy, you doing okay?

Pidge: Lance wants to know why you’re being emo  
Pidge: Please talk to him so he’ll shut up  
Pidge: He says I wasn’t supposed to mention his name. Oops.

Shiro: Keith, is everything okay??  
Shiro: Call me.

Allura: Lance said you might be in trouble. Is everything alright?  
Allura: Keith, I want you to know if you ever need anything, I am here for you.

It was him. He was the emergency. Anger boiled inside Keith as he gritted his teeth. He couldn’t mope for one week without Lance escalating matters to his entire social circle? He didn’t want to have to explain himself!

_Thank god I don’t have parents or they’d be texting me next!_

Keith realized it was a fucked up thought but was too pissed off to care. 

He stabbed at his phone with his index finger, opening the chat with Lance. His fingers flew furiously over his keyboard.

Keith: WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?

Lance: KEITH?!? WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? I’VE BEEN WORRIED SICK!

Keith: WHY THE FUCK IS EVERYONE TEXTING ME??

Lance: YOU WEREN’T RESPONDING! I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE DEAD!

Keith: maybe I’ve been sick! ever consider that?

Lance: I went by your place... you didn’t answer the door!

Keith: I’M AT THE GYM YOU MORON

Lance: WHAT ARE YOU DOING AT THE GYM IF YOU’RE SICK???  
Lance: You’re not making any sense!

Keith: MAYBE I JUST WANTED A FUCKING BREAK FOR ONCE!  
Keith: I CAN’T CHECK OUT FOR A FEW DAYS WITHOUT YOU CALLING IN REINFORCEMENTS??  
Keith: YOU ARE SO FUCKING NEEDY! GIVE ME SOME DAMN SPACE ALREADY!

He saw Lance start and stop typing several times. Keith’s jaw relaxed and his breathing slowed as his anger started to fade. The thought that he might have overreacted began nagging at his brain. 

Lance: well excuse me for being concerned

Keith: Lance… I’m sorry. I’ve had a rough week…

Lance: I’m sending Hunk over with soup. enjoy your space, dickhead.

_Shit… I didn’t handle that well._

Keith threw his phone in his gym bag and slumped on the locker room bench, knowing his temper had gotten the better of him again.

 

Keith showered and spent the next hour assuring everyone he was okay and that there was nothing to worry about. It was annoying to have to do in the first place, but he had to admit, it felt good knowing his friends cared about him enough to rally in a time of crisis. Shiro and Allura in particular had both expressed that he could come to them with anything. He was grateful for their offer and had promised them he would if he ever needed to, but there was no way in hell he was going to bring up the Lance situation. That was a private matter he was taking to his grave.

Shortly after he finished talking to them, his doorbell rang.

Keith opened the door to see Hunk holding a large pot.

“Hey buddy, heard you weren’t feeling well! Brought you some soup,” Hunk said with a friendly smile. 

“Hunk... You didn’t have to do that,” Keith said apologetically as Hunk carried the pot into his apartment.

“It’s no trouble.” Hunk set the pot down on the stove. He turned and looked at Keith. “So, how are you doing? Anything you need to talk about?” Hunk smiled warmly.

“Did he send you over here to spy on me?” Keith glared and crossed his arms defensively.

Hunk put his hands up, indicating he came in peace. “Well, in his defense, you haven’t been yourself this week, and he’s pretty worried about you. We all were.” Hunk put a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Keith insisted. “I just needed a few days to work through some stuff.”

Hunk frowned thoughtfully like he had something to say but wasn't sure if he should say it. “Lance thought you might be kinda down about some guy from that party last week?” He pressed gently. “ If you needed to talk about-”

“Oh god, did he tell everybody about that?” Keith cut him off. “There is no guy! It was just a misunderstanding,” he groaned and pressed his face into his hand. “Now he's dragged all of you into this.”

“It’s okay, we all know how Lance can jump to conclusions,” Hunk smiled sympathetically. “Lance aside, I also came over here to see if you’ll still come out with us tomorrow. For Shay’s 21st?”

“Right,” Keith remembered Hunk had been organizing a celebration for her. “I should go to that…” he said trying to muster his motivation.

“I’m sure Pidge and Lance would love to see you.”

Keith sneered at the mention of Lance’s name. The reaction was not lost on Hunk.

“Did something happen between you two? I’m sensing something might have happened,” he peered at Keith. 

Keith wasn’t sure how much he could tell Hunk. He and Lance were close, and he’d probably relay anything he said right back to Lance.

“He’s just an idiot. And I’m an idiot too. Don’t worry about it.” He waved his hand and changed the subject. “I’ll be there tomorrow. For Shay.”

_Definitely not to see Lance..._

“Awesome! It would mean a lot to her!” Hunk grinned.

“So have you asked her out yet?” Keith asked after a pause, smiling encouragingly.

“I’m working on it…” Hunk grinned uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his head.

“Get on that, Hunk,” Keith teased.

“Enjoy the soup, Keith,” Hunk said as he awkwardly sidled to the door.

 

Keith lay in bed that night and flipped through the messages from his friends. He was touched at how concerned they had sounded for his well-being. He was lucky to have them in his life and needed to remember that more often. He thumbed to the chat with Lance and his smile faded. He still hadn’t read through the messages Lance had sent him over the last day and a half. He drew a deep breath and scrolled up to where he had stopped responding.

Lance: I am eating the best burrito right now! Holy shit!

Lance: dude, look at this dog!  
Lance: https://i.imgur.com/FPxZ8WK.gifv  
Lance: OMG LOOK AT IT!!

Lance: if I was like 2 years older do you think Allura would date me?  
Lance: I bet she would...  
Lance: she’d probably date you now if you swung that way  
Lance: you're so cool Keith. why can't I be cool like you ;__;  
Lance: if only she had a sister...  
Lance: or a cousin  
Lance: OR A TWIN!!!!!!  
Lance: OMFG TWO ALLURAS!!  
Lance: jskjsflklkjalfkjd  
Lance: I’M DEAD

Keith snorted and shook his head, amused at Lance’s ability to have a conversation with himself. It was well-established that Lance and Allura were never going to be an item, but Lance had imprinted on her like a hopeless duckling. It was more the concept of Allura that he chased, rather than Allura herself. Lance’s silly fantasy didn’t bother him in the slightest. He kept scrolling.

Lance: when are we doing checkpoints again? I wanna get drunk!

Lance: yo are you there??  
Lance: Keeeeeeiiiith………  
Lance: ………  
Lance: I guess you fell asleep  
Lance: sweet dreams

Lance: buenos días mi amigo  
Lance: I had the weirdest dream...  
Lance: you were in it  
Lance: it was… something else  
Lance: you know what, nevermind! you down to hang out or something today?

_A dream, huh? Gee, I wonder what that could be about…_

The hair on the back of Keith’s neck bristled. He was glad he hadn’t seen that snippet earlier. He was in a much better mental state to handle it now. It made him uneasy, but at least he could assume certain memories were still buried in Lance’s subconscious. For now…

He continued reading.

Lance: wtf it’s been two hours. where the hell are you?

Lance: I’m seriously getting worried  
Lance: Pidge and Hunk haven’t heard from you either  
Lance: if this is a joke, it’s not funny

Lance: pick up when I call, dammit!  
Lance: if I don’t hear from you in 10 minutes, I’m coming over

Lance: HERE I COME

Lance: I’M AT YOUR HOUSE  
Lance: ANSWER THE DOOR  
Lance: WHERE ARE YOU?? I’M ABOUT TO BREAK DOWN YOUR DOOR  
Lance: ANSWER YOUR PHONE ASDKCVJKJKNMKJ  
Lance: KEITH  
Lance: I JUST WANNA KNOW IF YOU’RE OKAY???

Keith snickered in his dark room as he read through Lance’s self-documented breakdown. A huge smile cracked across his face. How did Lance manage to simultaneously be both the fucking best and the absolute worst? Keith was a breath away from mentally declaring that he loved him. Whether it had the potential to be romantic or not, knowing that on some level Lance really cared about him left Keith feeling warm inside.

He scrolled further and winced as he hit their confrontation from earlier that day. He really regretted losing his cool. The words ‘enjoy your space, dickhead’ burned into his retinas. If alienating Lance had been his goal, job well done!

It wasn’t. It was the furthest thing from it. He wanted to know how Lance felt and if there was any deeper meaning behind their drunken escapade in the park. Why didn’t he just suck it up and talk to Lance about it? If Lance cared about him as much as he seemed to, it probably wouldn't end their friendship. What was he worried about? He could call or text him anytime. He could even do it right now. It sounded so easy, and his phone was already in his hand. Keith opened his contacts, scrolled to Lance’s name, and paused with his thumb hovering over the call button.

_Do it... Just call him..._

Keith locked his phone and let it slip from his hand to the floor with a thud. He curled into a ball in his bed and pulled a pillow over his head.

“Could I be fucking this up any more?” He whispered into the pillow.

True to his word, Lance gave him space. Keith’s phone stayed silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What angsty songs do you think Keith was listened to? In my headcanon, he listened to Do I Wanna Know by The Arctic Monkeys on repeat like a looooooot... But I wanted to leave it open so you could insert your favorite moody music. ^^'
> 
> Art  
> [ The Selfie ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160309753309/v-0-3-commission-for-badsuki-from-her)There's the pic that did Keith in. From @v-0-3 on Tumblr.  
> [ Give Me Space ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/159585933069/please-drink-responsibly-give-me-space)Keith is so moody after his fight with Lance :/ Art from @artsy-stargazer on Tumblr.  
> [ Give Me Space Part II ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160934372384/keith-angst-jpg-second-part-just-came-in-from)Second part from @artsy-stargazer. Poor Keef, my heart... :'(  
>  
> 
> As always, please leave comments. It helps so much to know people are enjoying the words that are falling out of my brain.
> 
> I'm also totally open to criticism and suggestions! Anything that helps me write a better klance fic! :)


	5. Get Your Flirt On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! This was a long chapter, but I had fun editing it on Valentine's Day. ^_^  
> Enjoy~

Keith looked at the time on his phone and chewed his lip. He was already late for Shay’s birthday and was yet to make up his mind about going. There had been no further communication with Lance since their fight, and he knew it was going to be awkward. He reminded himself that he’d made a promise to Hunk. If his friend hadn’t been so excited about planning the party, Keith probably would've stayed home. Hunk had even gone so far as to find a restaurant that was also a fairly popular drinking spot so that Pidge, the only remaining member of the group still under 21, would be able to join too. Keith pulled on his jacket and looked up directions to the restaurant despite of the ominous feeling in his gut.

His phone vibrated in his pocket while he walked. He whipped it out quickly, thinking it might be a text from Lance. He frowned. It was from Pidge instead.

Pidge: Are you coming? A certain someone-I-cannot-name is worried you aren’t gonna show.

The corners of Keith’s mouth lifted. Lance was missing him.

Keith: I’m on my way…

Pidge: Are you mad at him? Someone-not-named-Lance wants to know.

Keith: ...

Pidge: He looks so dejected right now. It’s pathetic.  
Pidge: Look I snuck a picture:

A photo of Lance leaning on his elbow, chin resting heavily in his hand, appeared on Keith's phone. Lance was staring into the table with a pout on his face. Keith put a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter. The biggest grin he’d had all week spread over his face as he saved the photo to his phone. 

Keith: he looks like he just got dumped...

Pidge: RIGHT??  
Pidge: Come kiss and make-up with your boyfriend already.

Keith: don’t even joke about that...  
Keith: and I’m not mad anymore but don’t tell him that.  
Keith: let him suffer a while longer.

Pidge: Harsh...  
Pidge: He wants to know if you’ll still give him checkpoints.

Keith: ...I said NOT to tell him!

Pidge: ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
Pidge: He won’t shut up about not being able to drink without his ‘checkpoint man’! 

Keith: give him one by proxy?

Pidge: HELL NO.

Pidge: Just hurry up and get here so Lance can pickle his liver.

 

Keith arrived at the restaurant, nervous about seeing everyone after the misunderstanding Lance had caused the day before, but at least he was less worried about things with Lance. After seeing the photo from Pidge, he felt he might have the upper hand. He scanned the tables, looking for his friends.

“Keith, over here!” He heard Hunk’s voice and waved as he walked over to join the group. He saw Lance glance at him for a second and then look away. Keith hugged Hunk then Shay, wishing her happy birthday. She was beaming from ear to ear, overjoyed that everyone had come out to celebrate. Keith made sure to tell her it was all Hunk’s doing, that he had organized the whole thing. Hunk swelled with joy at how pleased Shay looked and happily took the credit.

Keith continued around the whole table, greeting Pidge, Shiro, and Allura before he got to Lance, who looked exactly like he had in the photo. Lance peered at him sideways as he approached then quickly turned his head and avoided eye contact with a faint “hmph”.

Keith cleared his throat.

“Checkpoint: apology,” he said deliberately, extending his hand to Lance as a peace offering.

Lance, chin still in-hand, looked from Keith’s hand to his face a few times. His glum expression slowly gave way to a wide grin.

“My checkpoint man is here!” He yelled joyfully, grabbing Keith’s hand and drawing him into a hug. Keith was relieved at his reaction and relaxed. 

The hug lingered longer than normal. “Keith, I’m sorry,” Lance said into his hair.

“Me too,” Keith said quietly and hugged him back.

Lance squeezed him tighter. “We good?” He asked uncertainly.

Keith laughed to himself. “Yeah Lance, we’re good.”

There was a chorus of ‘aww’s from the group.

“Kiss already!” Pidge teased.

They stepped apart, Keith tried to act nonchalant in front of his friends even though his face felt flushed.

“Finally! I can start drinking!” Lance cried and grabbed two shots glasses from the table downing them one after the other. He let out a hoot as they burned his throat.

Shay giggled at the spectacle.

“Don’t encourage him, Shay. He's a terrible drunk!” Keith said, pointing at Lance.

“I’m an excellent drunk!” Lance shouted as he grabbed Keith by the wrist. “To the bar!”

Keith made a helpless face at his friends as Lance dragged him off to get more alcohol. 

 

“So am I good, to like, text you again?” Lance asked, as they edged into the crowd by bar to wait for service. “You missed out on so many good dog gifs.” A twinge of hurt lingered in his voice.

“Yeah. Send me all the dumb links you want,” Keith encouraged him, relieved their fight was over.

“I guess it didn’t workout with that guy, huh?” Lance asked carefully.

“I guess it didn’t,” Keith said flatly while said oblivious guy stood in front of him.

“His loss,” Lance said, slapping Keith’s back supportively.

Keith smile strained through the irony.

Lance fiddled with his phone while they waited to order. Keith’s eyes wandered around the room and landed on a man who was collecting a flight of drinks at the other end of the bar. His shirt sleeves were pulled tight around his muscular arms and a dark beard graced his face. Keith raised an eyebrow, momentarily struck by this tough, rugged, and completely-unlike-Lance stranger.

“See something you like?” Lance noticed him staring.

Keith immediately dropped his gaze. “Who knows,” he said self-consciously.

“Let’s go talk to him,” Lance encouraged. “I can wingman!”

“Please do not,” Keith said emphatically. “Besides, he’s probably straight,” Keith tried not to sound too bitter about it.

“Well, we could go find out,” Lance tried to tempt him.

“I’d rather not. It’s _really_ awkward hitting on someone only to find out they're straight,” Keith's face pained with past expereince.

Lance nodded like he understood. “Yeah, I get it. It’s harder picking up guys in a regular bar.” A glint appeared in his eyes with an idea. “You know, If we went to a gay bar, they’d come to you!”

“You would be bored at a gay bar. And I don’t know about picking up strangers... That’s not really my thing.”

Lance shrugged. “It’s just reading people. It gets easier the more you do it. You wanna practice on me?” He offered, grinning wildly.

Keith looked at him annoyed. “I _just_ said it’s awkward hitting on straight guys.”

“Not straight, and I’m a stranger. Don’t know you. Who is this handsome, mulleted man next to me?” Lance mimed an unassuming stranger.

Keith made an exasperated noise.

_He can’t be serious..._

“Come on, Keith. Hit on me,” Lance said daringly.

Keith was immediately flustered. Pretending to flirt may have been an innocent game to Lance, but it was a little too real for him.

“Uh… H-Hey…” Keith stammered awkwardly.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Lance said in a low voice, turning on all of his charm.

Keith scoffed, unable to maintain his minimal immersion in the charade. “Nobody says that!”

“They totally do!” Lance insisted. “Try something more like that.”

“I don’t need your help with flirting, Lance. I just choose not to hit on every attractive person I see!” Keith said, annoyed that Lance seemed to think he knew more about picking up men than he did.

“You definitely need my help if that’s the best you’ve got. Try again.” Lance imitated an aloof stranger once more. 

Keith rolled his eyes and noticed the bartender coming over.

“Okay, _stranger_. What’s good here?” he asked Lance.

“I'm partial to AMFs, but how about the local brew?” Lance responded.

“Two locals,” Keith said to the bartender, flashing his ID and laying down cash. He smiled at Lance as the bottles were placed in front of him and uncapped. He picked one up in each hand and offered one to Lance.

“Hey, I’m Keith,” he said with a coy smile.

Lance looked surprised and then delighted as he took the beer. “Did you… did you just buy me a drink?” He put one hand over his heart and looked proud of his friend.

Keith smiled proudly. “Cheers,” he said, clinking his bottle against Lance's before taking a drink. As he moved the bottle away from his mouth, he licked his lips and looked up at Lance with an alluring smile.

Lance’s eyebrows shot up. “Stop, Keith! You’ve won this stranger’s heart!” He swooned dramatically. “But actually, that was pretty good...” Lance looked at him for a moment like he hadn’t expected Keith to be good at this.

“Whatever, it’s not like I do it often,” Keith said shyly. He couldn’t believe he’d just done that but was pleased with the reaction he got.

“You should! Take some chances. If you wait, they might get snapped up before… you...” Lance trailed off mid-sentence. Keith watched his eyes lock onto something across the room, a charming grin spreading over his face. Keith turned and followed his gaze to see what had caught his attention. A pretty girl in a short top that showed off her midriff smiled back at Lance. Her hair was pulled back, and long, blonde locks flowed down her back. She was exactly Lance’s type.

 _Of course…_ Keith thought to himself bitterly. He leaned casually against the bar next to Lance.

“Something you like?” Keith repeated Lance’s words from earlier back at him.

Lance whistled to himself. “ _Yes_ ,” he said definitively.

“Well, go talk to her,” Keith encouraged, somewhat begrudgingly.

Lance waved his hand dismissively and turned his gaze back to Keith. “I’m talking to you right now,” he said smoothly with a sideways grin.

Keith was stunned. Had Lance just turned down the opportunity to hit on an attractive girl to fake flirt with _him?_ That didn’t seem possible unless...

“Wait, was that one of your moves?” Keith eyed him suspiciously.

“It may have been conveniently timed, but no. You haven't noticed my moves,” Lance said with a sly smile.

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Like how my arm is already behind you on the bar.”

Keith looked over his shoulder at the surface he was leaning against, and sure enough, Lance’s arm had crept behind him.

“And I’ve been standing increasingly closer to you,” Lance pointed out.

Keith had noticed that but thought maybe it was due to the thickening crowd. 

“But this is as close as I’ll get,” Lance informed him, then paused. “Next, I’ll make you come to me,” he said confidently.

Keith snorted. “Okay, Lance,” Keith said mockingly, not believing him.

Lance smiled at the challenge. “If I start talking in a softer voice so you can’t hear…”

“What?” Keith automatically stepped closer and leaned in to hear over the volume of the crowd. 

Lance grinned smugly and rested a hand on Keith's low back. Keith jolted at the touch.

“Hook, line, and sinker,” Lance said triumphantly in a low voice into Keith’s ear.

“God dammit...” Keith cursed under his breath. Lance was too good at this. He had walked right into that one.

Lance laughed. “Then I just read their body language and see if they respond.”

Keith swallowed. “Am I… Am I responding?” he asked, nervously.

“I dunno, are you?” Lance asked playfully as he pulled back to look at Keith's face. “You can be hard to read,” he said tucking a lock of hair behind Keith’s ear.

Keith’s heart pounded in his chest. __

__

__

_Is he really... flirting with me right now?_

“Now you gotta drop a hint, or I might back off,” Lance said. 

Keith looked at him uncertain, trying to decide what to do. Was Lance just giving him advice, or was this his way of asking if he was interested? Either way, Keith decided he was going to shut that smug face up.

“Okay,” Keith said, putting his beer down.

_He wants a hint, huh? I’ll give him a hint..._

Keith slammed his hands on the bar on either side of Lance and stepped close, trapping him.

Lance nearly spilled his beer. 

Keith dragged one hand up Lance’s thigh, threaded a finger through one of his belt loops, and tugged on it gently, pulling their bodies together.

“How’s this for a hint?” He breathed inches from Lance’s face.

Lance stared at him wide-eyed, looking totally caught off guard.

“ _Holy shit,_ Keith!” Lance cried in astonishment.

Keith felt self-conscious and quickly stepped away from Lance.

“Sorry, that was too much...” He returned to his drink feeling awkward.

“Don’t be!” Lance looked at Keith impressed and blew a breath out between his lips. “That was _hot!_ ” 

Keith’s heart sang at hearing that. He smirked, feeling victorious.

“Man, I forgot guys are a lot more direct. It's been a while,” Lance shook his head and took a long drag from his bottle to recover.

“A while since what, you hit on a guy?” Keith asked sarcastically.

Lance waggled his eyebrows at him and took another sip of his beer. “Come here and give me a checkpoint before I get too far into this drink you so sneakily bought me,” he said, hooking his arm around Keith’s hip and pulling him into his side. 

“R… Red,” Keith said, to match his face. Lance squeezed his hip before letting go. Keith’s mind was spinning. It didn’t feel like they were flirting for practice anymore. It felt real.

Lance turned towards Keith and leaned sideways against the bar. 

“Hey,” Lance said, brushing Keith’s arm with his fingers, trying to catch his eye. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” His tone was uncharacteristically serious.

Keith felt goosebumps rising at Lance’s touch. He looked up into Lance’s blue eyes and nearly forgot to breathe. His eyes hovered over Lance’s lips, less than a foot from his face. If this was real flirting, and Keith was starting to think it was, this is where he would kiss him. Keith unconsciously began leaning forward. 

“Have you ever blacked out?” Lance asked. It was so out of the blue that it completely snapped Keith out of the moment.

“What?” Keith pulled back. He was thrown off by the question but found his sarcasm soon enough. “No, Lance, I’m a responsible adult with control over my drinking habits.” He regretted it immediately after he said it though. It took their flirtatious vibe down several notches.

Lance stepped back too, making a face and imitating his words. “Control is the whole point of my system, I’ll remind you! Seriously though,” his tone turned serious again, “have you?” 

Keith racked his brain. He’d had a wild night here and there but couldn’t recall ever losing track of himself. “I don’t think so. I mean, I’ve never woken up and had no idea how I got somewhere if that’s what you’re asking. But, I also don’t have anyone giving me checkpoints...”

“So you admit it’s a good system then?” Lance asked smugly.

Keith shot him an annoyed look.

“Would you ever... want to?” Lance looked down and then up at him.

Keith thought he heard a hint of uncertainty in Lance’s voice, like he was nervous, but the thought was quickly lost in Keith’s bewilderment at the question.

“Get blackout drunk? What would I...?” Keith was too baffled to finish his thought.

“Eh,” Lance shrugged. “I kinda wonder what you’d do with no inhibitions, especially after that little move you just pulled. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re, like, hella repressed. What secrets are hiding in there, Kogane?” He peered at Keith.

“I’ve been secretly straight this whole time,” Keith’s voice dripped with sarcasm. Where the hell was Lance going with this, Keith wondered.

Lance scoffed and then tried to be serious one more time. “Okay, but like, what if...” Lance said slowly, looking down and scuffing his shoe along the floor. “What if we both blacked out… at the same time...” He looked up at Keith as he finished the thought. 

Keith’s mind began overclocking, a list of possibilities running through his head. Was Lance hinting at something, perhaps a hazy recollection from the park? Did Lance think he didn’t remember it either? 

“What are you getting at?” Keith started to ask but was cut-off by a suddenly excited Lance.

“Oh my god, Keith! Like what if we woke up somewhere crazy, like in ball pit dressed as space pirates next to two hot girls - er sorry, a hot guy for you and _two_ hot girls for me, but we had no idea who they were or what happened!”

_Or we’d wake up with hickeys on our necks..._

“How insane would it be to have had the wildest, possibly best night of your life and not remember it! What’s that saying? If a tree falls in the forest but no one’s there to hear it, then it doesn’t make a sound! It’d be like it never really happened!”

Keith slammed his beer onto the bar.

“It _does_ make a sound!” He unintentionally raised his voice as his temper flared. The night in the park had been very real for him, and it was a memory he intended to save forever, even if it had been so meaningless that it hadn't even made a dent in Lance’s skull. 

“Just because you don’t remember it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, asshole!” Keith said with a vicious tone, so angry he was shaking.

“Whoa, hothead! I’m just saying I wanna get drunk with you and see you chill out for once!” Lance cried testily.

“Well, thanks but no thanks to that invitation!” Keith glowered at him but controlled his volume. “Besides, that could never happen because you never black out, _right Lance?_ ” He spat, knowing it was very likely that Lance did, in fact, black out. 

“Right...” Lance’s excitement faded. He frowned at being snapped out of his wishful scenario. “I still think it’d be good for you,” he mumbled a few moments later.

“You could’ve just asked if I wanted to drink. I mean, blackout, really? That’s such an extreme!” Keith paused as the last of his anger faded. He sighed, “You’re probably right though. I need to chill out more.”

“So... you’ll get drunk with me?” Lance perked up.

Keith put a palm against his face. “Did you hear anything I just said?”

“I heard that you want to drink and chill out more.” Lance enumerated on his fingers as he spoke. “So I have an idea-”

“You’d better not be incorporating me into one of your experiments,” Keith warned.

Lance flashed a scheming grin and elbowed him in the side. “Come on, it’d be fun to test your limits.”

Keith threw his hands up. “Why do I put up with you? Why are you like this?” He was annoyed but couldn’t stop himself from looking at Lance fondly.

Lance launched a sly grin at him. “You love it when I’m like this,” he said as he playfully grazed Keith’s cheek with his fist. 

Keith felt his soul exit his body. It was an impossible coincidence. Touching his cheek and repeating that phrase? Lance remembered, he was certain of it.

Keith snatched Lance’s wrist as it pulled away from his face. 

“Are you fucking with me right now?” He asked directly, looking Lance in the eyes.

“ _Me?_ Fuck with _you?_ ” Lance feigned innocence.

Keith squeezed Lance’s wrist tighter. “Seriously, Lance...” His voice betrayed his concern.

“Pfff. Keith, please.” He wriggled his hand free from Keith’s grip and placed it firmly on his shoulder. “ _Of course_ I am fucking with you,” he said, leaving Keith wide-eyed and alone at the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having so much fun pushing these boys closer together!
> 
> Art!  
> [Preview of something that's coming soon!](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/169677453219/lance-with-the-not-so-subtle-hint-that-keith)


	6. But We had a Bonding Moment...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy...
> 
> All I can say is, BUCKLE UP and remember to BREATHE!

Keith shot out the back door of the noisy restaurant like the place was on fire. He was desperate for some fresh air and space to clear his head. He began pacing up and down the alley behind the building, his mind working overtime. 

“Holy shit… fuck... the hell...” He breathed as too many thoughts crowded his mind at once. After several laps, he hunched over resting his hands on his knees, breathing hard. Thoughts began to crystalize as his mind slowed.

_What the fuck was that, Lance?_

‘What if we both blacked out… at the same time…’ Lance’s words stuck in his head.

_He remembers… And he thinks I don’t!?_

He leaned against the restaurant wall next to a dumpster, crippled by the irony.

_At least… I think he does?_

If Lance remembered, then why had he brought up the non-existent guy from the party?

There were enough contradictions that Keith began second-guessing himself and examined the evidence for the thousandth time. He stopped before he fell too far down that rabbithole. He was mentally exhausted from stressing about whether or not Lance remembered. It didn’t matter anymore. What kept him up at night and tied his stomach up in knots wasn’t Lance’s memory. It was whether or not Lance felt the same way he did. What happened in the park was just an indicator that there might be something more to their friendship. Did Lance already see him like that? Could he ever see him like that? Or was Keith just the victim of a joke gone too far? Those were the questions he needed answered.

‘Of course I’m fucking with you.’ He replayed Lance’s words in his mind and wondered what the hell they meant. Keith wasn't sure they meant anything. It sounded suspiciously like grade-A Lance bullshit.

_But if he is messing with me…_

Keith shook his head. Lance liked to joke, but it wasn’t like him to toy with people’s emotions.

 _And if he’s not, then... could he be into me?_

Hope flickered inside Keith. Lance was the one who had made things physical in the first place. 

_And then tonight…_

Keith remembered the flirting. His head shot up. Had that been real? Even if it started under the guise of practice, it hadn’t felt like practice by the end. Lance had even called it hot. Keith’s stomach went into free fall just thinking about it.

_Fuck... I think he might be into me..._

Keith smiled carefully, hesitant to believe it.

 _I gotta talk to him..._

Nerves wrenched his gut at the thought.

_Or I could just get him drunk and see if it happens again…_

Keith considered the less nerve-wracking option.

_Yikes Keith, that sounds really predatory..._

He grimaced and thought better of it.

He wasn't going to get any answers overthinking Lance’s every move alone in a dingy alley. There was no way around it. The only way to find out where things stood was to talk to Lance.

_I think he remembers, and if he doesn’t… I’m going to tell him..._

_Tonight... Before I leave this bar..._

Keith’s resolve was set. He talked himself up to the task before going back into the restaurant, reminding himself of how turned on Lance had looked when he’d pushed him up against the bar. He scanned the crowded room and didn’t see Lance but figured his friend would come find him for another checkpoint soon enough. Keith returned to the table with his friends, feeling guilty for ditching them earlier, and waited for Lance. 

 

\-- -- --

 

Lance sat down at an empty table frustrated with himself.

_Real smooth, Lance. That was actually going well… until you fucked it up. Ugh, What was I even saying?_

Lance was good at running his game on strangers, but he was finding it was so much harder when it was someone who actually mattered. He’d been trying to ask Keith to go on a drunken adventure with him, hoping it might lead to a more risque one, but his nerves had caused him to go at it from a stupid angle. 

_Why didn’t I just call it a date?_

_Yeah... like he’d have taken that seriously..._

When the conversation went south, he’d backpedaled and tried to pass the whole suggestion off as a joke. 

“Uggggghhhhh,” he exhaled in exasperation and slid lower in his chair.

_If I hadn’t had that stupid dream..._

Lance given up on pursuing Keith years ago. His top-of-the-class friend was always so intensely focused on kicking ass at everything that he never even noticed Lance’s attempts to compete with him, let alone his attempts to woo him. But recently, Lance had been having these dreams that were re-awakening his interest. In the most recent one, Keith had been underneath him clawing at his shirt, panting in his ear, and reaching for his dick. It has been so hot that Lance had chanced making another pass at his friend, though it seemed his attempt had only succeeded in pissing Keith off. 

Lance rubbed his head unsure if he should try again. Keith had looked uncomfortable every time he’d gotten close to him. He’d also had to appeal to Keith's competitive side to get him to even entertain the idea of flirty banter, and Lance didn't feel good about using those kinds of tactics. He wanted Keith to do it of his own volition, but it just didn't look like that was going to happen. 

Lance frowned at his disappointing reality and slumped further in his seat. He'd seen the beefy guy Keith had been staring it.

 _I'm so not his type..._

Lance drained the last of the beer Keith had bought him. He sighed and set the empty bottle firmly on the table. Maybe it was time to put the Keith-crush back on the shelf. The elusive Keith Kogane was still out of his league.

He glanced around the room looking for the cute blonde chick from before. She was the perfect candidate to console him.

 

\-- -- --

 

Keith fidgeted at the table while he waited for Lance. Scrolling through the apps on his phone wasn’t doing much to calm his nerves.

Pidge was showing Allura a set of selfie filters she had made. Keith jumped in one of the photos too to take his mind of things. The three of them laughed as they were transformed into zombies with speech bubbles moaning ‘braaaaaaains’ over their heads. 

Lance was nowhere to be seen.

After that, he inconspicuously watched Shay and Hunk talking shyly with one another at the other end of the table. He smiled, thinking that they were going to be a very cute couple one day.

Still no Lance.

Keith's foot twitched restlessly, but he distracted himself one more time by chatting with Shiro about their respective training regimens. When there was a lull in their conversation, Keith scanned the room for Lance again.

_He should have asked for another checkpoint by now..._

There was a terrible sinking feeling in Keith’s stomach. He needed to talk to Lance before he lost his nerve.

“Has anyone seen Lance?” Keith asked the group. They all shook their heads.

Keith decided to go looking for him and finally spotted Lance weaving his way through the crowd towards the table as he stood up. His stomach plummeted, but it was now or never. Keith swallowed hard and set his jaw.

“Hey, I need to talk to you,” Keith said firmly, heart pounding but determined to start the conversation.

“And I need talk to you!” Lance exclaimed excitedly. 

“Me first. It’s about the night in… the park...” Keith trailed off as he noticed there was someone standing just behind his friend. He recognized her as the girl that had caught Lance’s attention while they were flirting at the bar. He cocked his head, confused, when he noticed she was holding Lance’s hand.

“What’s going on?” Keith looked at Lance for an explanation.

“Keith, this is Nyma,” Lance said, positively beaming. The girl stepped to Lance’s side as he introduced them. Keith looked from Lance to the girl to their clasped hands. It didn’t make sense. He and Lance had just been flirting, hadn’t they? Lance had been into it... 

“Just one sec, babe,” Lance said to the girl as he let go of her hand.

_...Babe? ...BABE??_

Keith tried to fight the realization that was sinking in. There had to be a misunderstanding.

Lance pulled him aside. Keith moved like a rag doll. “I'm really hitting it off with this girl, and I gotta be able to bring my A-game, if ya know what I mean,” he winked and pointed a finger gun at Keith. The girl behind Lance giggled. “We’re gonna head out, so no more checkpoints tonight.” 

“Oh,” Keith said quietly, letting reality sink in at last. Lance was too excited to notice how distraught he looked.

“You’re off the hook tonight, buddy.” Lance said, punching his shoulder. 

“Thanks… buddy.” Keith rubbed his shoulder and reconsidered the punch Lance had delivered to his cheek earlier. 

Lance said goodbye to everyone and wished Shay a happy birthday before taking Nyma by the hand and leading her away from the group. Keith watched the pair walk out the door together, the biggest smile plastered on Lance’s face. He’d watched Lance leave with girls before, but it stung so much worse this time after being led to believe that he had stood a chance. It seemed he had seriously misinterpreted something. Or… An even worse scenario crept into Keith’s head.

 _He remembers... but it meant nothing..._

Keith fell into his seat at the table again, the world crashing down around him. Lance had as much as admitted to remembering the park, hadn’t he? And the very next thing he did was pick up someone else. It was clearly just a drunken mistake to him. Nothing was different. 

‘It’d be like it never happened!’ Keith remembered Lance’s tree analogy and stared defeated into the table. He had all the answers he needed.

“Why do you look so bummed? I thought you hated the checkpoint game,” Pidge remarked.

Keith looked at her sullenly but didn’t respond. 

“I'm gonna take off. Want to get an early start tomorrow,” he announced to the table in a hollow voice. His friends looked surprised at his abrupt announcement. “Happy birthday, Shay,” he mustered the best smile he could before he left.

 

 

He was several blocks down the street when he heard someone calling his name.

“Keith, wait!”

Keith stopped and turned around to see someone running after him.

“Shiro?” Keith breathed.

“You ran out of there pretty quick.” Shiro said, slightly out of breath, as he caught up to him. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Uh…” Keith choked on his own voice. He knew he could trust his coach and mentor but felt so ashamed of the situation he was in. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Shiro.

“Keith,” Shiro said gripping his friend’s shoulder, forcing eye contact.

“Boy problems,” Keith smiled weakly, his voice quavering. He was trying his best to hold it together.

Shiro nodded. “Did this boy just leave with somebody else?” He asked gently, but Keith knew he didn’t need an answer. He wasn’t surprised Shiro had figured it out.

Keith shrugged and bit his bottom lip to keep it from shaking. He stifled a sob and looked away from Shiro.

“Oh, Keith,” Shiro said sympathetically and wrapped him in a hug. Keith clung to Shiro, unable to keep his emotions in check any longer. He sobbed quietly in Shiro’s arms.

“I’m so stupid.” He lay his face against Shiro’s chest, his bottled up frustration and heartache finally reaching a head.

“You’re not. You’re not.” Shiro said soothingly, stroking Keith’s head.

“Please don’t tell anyone,” Keith said softly.

“I won’t. You have my word.” 

Shiro held Keith until he regained control of himself, then hugged him tightly before letting go. “I’m scheduled for a late shift tonight. Are you going to be okay? I can call in sick,” Shiro offered.

Keith shook his head and collected himself. “I’ll be fine.” He felt a little lighter having gotten that off his chest. 

Shiro nodded. “Call me if you need anything,” he said and squeezed Keith’s shoulder again.

“Shiro... Thanks,” Keith called as they parted ways.

 

 

Thirty minutes later Keith was deep into a late-night kickboxing session at the gym, trying to chase visions of Lance and that girl out of his head. His sorrow had given way to unbridled rage. 

_He thinks he flirt with me one minute and then leave with some skank the next?_

He landed a hard one-two on the bag.

_He's straight, you idiot. You never had a chance._

One-two one-two kick.

_They’re probably sucking face right now..._

Jab-jab-cross-kick. 

_She’s gonna suck his dick..._

Keith ended a combo with a powerful left hook.

_Then they’re going to fuck._

Keith clenched his teeth and hit the bag as hard as he could multiple times in a row, his form growing sloppy as he raged. He punctuated the sequence with a firm sidekick.

_What's your rule, Keith?_

_Never._

Wham. 

_Catch._

Wham.

 _Feelings._

Wham.

 _For._

Wham.

_STRAIGHT BOYS!!!_

Wham. Wham. Wham.

He kicked the bag three times as hard as he could in quick succession. 

He hunched over, resting his hands on his knees, panting. He’d shifted from being angry at Lance to being angry at himself. He couldn’t believe he’d broken down in front of Shiro like that. He couldn’t believe he’d cried over someone so infuriating. But most of all, he couldn’t believe he’d let himself fall for someone as unavailable to him as Lance in the first place.

“FUCK!” he yelled and slammed a cathartic reverse roundhouse kick into the bag before collapsing in a heap on the floor. 

_I have to get over him…_

He lay on the ground with his eyes closed, emotionally crushed and breathing heavily.

 

“Hey there, gorgeous.” An unfamiliar voice said from above him. “You done with the bag?”

Keith blinked his eyes open and sat up. A handsome guy from the gym that he'd exchanged glances with before was standing next to him with a friendly smile.

“What did you say?” Keith asked, remembering Lance’s stupid pickup line.

“I asked if you were done with the bag,” the stranger repeated.

“No, the other thing,” Keith said.

The stranger looked a bit unsure. “Uh, well, I called you gorgeous, ‘cause you are,” he flashed his teeth at Keith.

Keith sighed exasperatedly as he stood up. “I thought so.” He snatched up his towel and stormed off without saying another word to the stranger.

If the guy had used _any_ other line, Keith was frustrated enough that he might have gone for it. But more than anything else, he hated that Lance had been right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg you guys, I broke Keith! ;__;  
> Lance, you are really fucking this up...  
> Please stay with me! I'm gonna fix it! Feel free to yell at me in the comments. 
> 
> ART!!  
> [ Boy Troubles ](http://lainadraws.tumblr.com/post/159545908174/beautiful-crying-keith-from-badsuki-s-fic)Keith breaking down. Art from @lainadraws on Tumblr.  
> [ Never Catch Feelings for Straight Boys!!! ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/159472434674/please-drink-responsibly-chapter-6)Look how mad he is!! It's perfect! Commission from @elany on tumblr.  
>  
> 
> So real talk... I was really worried about this chapter. I hope I haven't pissed you all off to the point that you stop reading. This is a klance fic, so obviously it's gonna be okay. Watching the person you like go after someone else is a pretty painful thing to experience when you're young. Even more so if you're LBGTQ, so I was really wanted to capture that. 
> 
> The next chapter is gonna be hella cute, I promise!!! :)


	7. Game Night Gets Gay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance unknowingly broke Keith's heart. Keith resolved to get over him.  
> Let's see how that goes...
> 
> Also, Hunk and Pidge are back! :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know this fic has a Spotify playlist? A few people have sent me song that remind them of the fic, so I finally made one with a few of my own too! 
> 
> [Please Drink Responsibly Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/njs730/playlist/1FqOiQzhAXdyk9Tnyr7UdR) (You can search for it on Spotify too.)
> 
> Send me more songs that should go on here!

In the days following Shay’s birthday, Lance was pretty MIA. Keith knew he was probably with that Nyma girl and was waiting with dread for a text to come in saying they were officially dating. It was Lance’s MO to jump into relationships quickly, and even though they never lasted long, Keith was worried. Knowing his luck, this one would actually stick.

_He’s going to get a girlfriend sooner or later…_

He kept reminding himself. He needed to get over Lance before that happened, and he was running out of time.

He was supposed to go to game night at Lance and Hunk’s place that evening. Keith was half-expecting Lance to bring Nyma and force them all to witness some obnoxious PDA first-hand. Keith didn't even bother debating if he should go. He wanted to rip the bandaid off while he still felt numb inside. A harsh dose of reality would help him move on faster.

 

Keith stood outside his friends' front door and braced himself for a mushy scene before letting himself in. Once inside, he saw Pidge and Hunk fully engrossed in a fighting game and Lance scrunched on the couch halfway in the fetal position with a pillow over his face. 

Keith raised an eyebrow. “What happened to him?” He asked his two friends who were not prone.

“Lance got dumped,” Pidge said, not looking away from the TV.

A pathetic whine came from under the pillow, and Lance wiggled further into the fetal position.

“In three days? Is that even possible?” Keith laughed but tried not to let on how relieved he was at this news.

“Not dumped really. She's just not interested,” Hunk explained.

“He has been hit and quit,” Pidge stated matter-of-factly, which elicited more noises from Lance.

Keith, suddenly in a much better mood, stood over his friend on the couch. 

“She couldn't stand you for more than one night, huh? I'm shocked!” He said mockingly and tried to pull the pillow off Lance's face, but it was quickly snatched back. 

“He must be pretty bad in bed,” Pidge remarked.

“I am not bad in bed!” Lance screamed, ripping the pillow off his face. “She had a good time with Little Lance!”

Hunk, Pidge, and Keith all cringed in sync and yelled at Lance to shut up.

“What the _fuck_ , Lance!?” Pidge cried with her hands over her ears. 

“Oh my god, what is wrong with you?” Keith rubbed his face in distress.

“Too far, Lance! Too far!” Hunk shuddered.

“Never call your dick that again! Never call it _anything_ again!” Pidge yelled.

Pidge and Hunk worked through the last of their shudders and resumed their game.

“Make room, you weirdo. I wanna sit,” Keith motioned for Lance to scoot. 

His friend grumbled but sat up to make space. Lance threw the pillow in Keith's lap as soon as he sat down and lay his head on it with a fwump.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked like he was being ridiculous.

“Comfort me, Keith. I'm heartbroken,” Lance said as he curled up on his side with his head in Keith's lap. 

_Are you fucking kidding me…_

“Heartbroken? Really? You only knew her for a few days!” Keith raised his voice, growing increasingly irritated. Keith felt that if anyone should be comforted, it was him. He’d experienced more heartbreak in the last week and a half than Lance probably had in his entire life.

“He was like this with the last one too. Just let him ride it out,” Hunk said to Keith.

“Plenty more bimbos out there Lance. You'll find one that can stand you one day,” Pidge said.

“Do not call my future wife a bimbo!” Lance sat up halfway and snapped at her. “What you mean people fail to understand is that I fall in love with every one of them, and I'm totally sincere about it!” 

“You’re not seriously looking for relationships in one night stands...” Keith said, knowing Lance was the right combination of dumb and hopeless romantic to do just that.

Lance looked and Keith and twisted his face into a pout.

"Lance...” Keith said disappointed.

“It could happen! She could’ve been the future Mrs. McClain!” Lance insisted and flopped back onto the pillow.

“You are hopeless,” Keith said incredulously.

“Nymaaaaaa,” Lance whined dramatically into the pillow.

“Stop it!” Keith dug his fingers into Lance's side. He did not want to hear that girl’s name.

“Ahhhh! That tickles!” Lance screamed, writhing away from Keith's fingers. “Why are you torturing me? Haven't I been through enough?”

“Shut up, Lance. Just shut up!” Keith stopped and clenched his teeth before continuing. “You're not falling in love with the drunk girls you bring home! You’re just excited about the possibility of a relationship because you’re so desperate to be in one!” His tone was harsh, but he was sick of Lance's nonsense. “You're not in love, Lance, you just want to be!” 

Lance blinked at him as though he might have had an epiphany but then glared at Keith from the pillow. “What sage wisdom! I'm sorry, when was the last time _you_ were in a relationship?” Lance protested sarcastically.

Keith narrowed his eyes. 

_I know way more about having my heart ripped out than you do!_

He stopped himself from yelling the thought and wondered why was he even trying to comfort the source of his own heartache.

“Ah... I gotta agree with Keith here. Maybe take it slower with the next one,” Hunk said, diffusing their argument. 

Pidge nodded in agreement. “Seriously Lance, did you even know her last name?” She asked rhetorically.

“Hmpf!” Lance pressed his face further into the pillow.

Keith looked down at Lance for a few moments. He hated that he felt sympathy for the man who had broken his own heart several times over, but he couldn't help it. He knew too well how miserable it felt to have your feelings go unrequited.

“Look, I know you're hurting, but it was just a hookup. You’ll bounce back,” he said, rubbing Lance’s side encouragingly. “The future Mrs. McClain is out there, and you're gonna find her." It pained Keith to say it, but he needed to face reality as much as Lance did. "Maybe work on falling less fast, so you don’t scare her off, okay?” 

Pidge and Hunk slowly turned to look at him. Lance peered up at him too with a blank expression. 

“What?” Keith asked. They were staring at him like he'd said something offensive.

“Did you hit your head or something?” Pidge asked.

“No...” Keith said uncomfortably.

“That was just… uncharacteristically sweet,” Pidge looked at him skeptically before turning back to the game.

Lance blinked at him a few moments longer then settled quietly into the pillow and watched the TV screen.

 

The peace was short-lived. A few minutes later, Lance started grumbling again.

“Shh,” Keith hushed him sharply and scratched his head to quiet him down. Lance’s volume quickly dropped off and his eyes rolled back in his head.

“Whoa, that feels kind of amazing,” Lance said in a subdued voice, and inched further into Keith's lap.

Keith was caught off guard by Lance’s reaction and dug his fingers in more without thinking. He ran his hands through Lance’s hair, massaging his scalp with his fingertips. Lance moaned softly when Keith scratched behind his ears, sending a rush through Keith’s body.

_I’m playing with fire..._

Keith realized it was the opposite of what he should be doing if he wanted to move on, but he was too mesmerized at how easily Lance was melting in his hands to stop. He quietly blew out a breath between his lips, thankful that there was a pillow buffer between his lap and Lance's head.

Pidge and Hunk finished their round. A soft snoring noise came from Keith’s lap as the game music faded. They whipped around to look.

“Did you put him to sleep?” Hunk asked astounded.

“Holy shit, Keith! You have a super power!” Pidge cried in a loud whisper.

“I do?” Keith looked at her confused.

“Yeah! Shutting Lance the fuck up!” Pidge stared at their sleeping friend in disbelief.

Keith smiled shyly. Pidge offered him her controller but he declined. He was perfectly happy to let them go another round while Lance slept in his lap.

 

Eventually, Keith snuck out from underneath the pillow to have a turn, leaving Lance asleep on the couch. He and Pidge traded off while Hunk cleaned up in the kitchen.

A purr from Keith’s phone pulled his eyes away from the TV. He glanced at the screen and frowned.

“Why are you texting me when we’re in the same room?” He looked over at Lance, who was awake but still lounging on the couch. His phone buzzed again.

Keith rolled his eyes and unlocked his phone.

Lance: let me take you out tomorrow night  
Lance: consider it my apology for the texting misunderstanding

Keith scowled, slightly miffed. That wasn’t really the thing he wanted an apology for anymore.

“You already apol-” his phone buzzed in his hands.

Lance: ANSWER YOUR TEXTS KEITH

Keith sighed and began to type his answer.

Keith: you already apologized for that.

Lance: let me be your wingman. find you a nice boy ;)  
Lance: or a nice daddy??  
Lance: whatever you're into..

Keith: I’m good.

Lance: I’m sure you are ;)

Keith made an irritated noise. “I’m going back to my game now,” he said, turning back to the TV and ignoring the texts arriving on his phone.

Less than a minute later his phone buzzed again. He heard Lance snickering to himself and checked his phone again to see what he was up to.

Lance: WAIT KEITH  
Lance: I have an idea!

Lance: YOU

Keith: Me? 

Keith waited, hearing Lance’s fingers tapping quickly on his screen. A familiar guitar riff started playing from Lance’s phone, and Lance looked at him with mischief in his eyes. Keith tried to look annoyed but struggled to keep the corners of his mouth from twisting upwards.

“Lance, don’t you dare!” Keith playfully threatened.

Lance started moving his body to the beat on the couch.

“You are not about to-”

 _YOU!_  
Lance leapt off the couch and pointed at Keith.

_I WANNA TAKE YOU TO A GAY BAR!_  
He held his phone like a microphone and exaggeratedly lip synched to Keith, who cringed at the ridiculousness he was witnessing.

_I WANNA TAKE YOU TO A GAY BAR!_  
Pidge cracked up and began singing with him.

“That song is so old!” Keith shouted trying not to laugh, so Lance began singing over him.

 _I WANNA TAKE YOU TO A GAY BAR! GAY BAR! GAY BAR!_  
Lance shrieked as the song went into a guitar solo. Pidge jumped up to join him. They stood back-to-back and played air guitar.

“Ha ha, Lance. You’re so original,” Keith feigned sarcasm and threw the couch cushion he’d been sitting on at them. Lance batted it away with his hand.

“For real, though. I’m taking you out!” He yelled over the music and kept dancing. “Hey Hunk, wanna come out with us tomorrow? We’re gonna get Keith laid!” 

“Lance!” Keith shouted.

“Sure!” He heard Hunk yell from the kitchen.

“Hey, I didn’t agree to this!” Keith pointed out, but Lance ignored him. 

“Pidge, you in?!” Lance asked her. 

“Oh, I’m not old enough...” she crossed her arms and looked left out.

“All right! Guess it’ll be a boys’ night out then!” Lance bellowed before cutting off the music. “Sorry, Pidge. He’ll still be gay when you’re 21 though. We’ll go again!”

“You sure you want to go to gay bar?” Keith asked, not certain Lance had though this through. His nerves also twisted at the thought of Lance dragging him around a club, pushing him to hit on guys. He wouldn’t have a good excuse not to this time.

“Yeah! You got a favorite place?” Lance asked.

Keith blinked. “Uh... I've never been to one...” 

“Really?” Lance looked surprised. “You’re in for a good time,” Lance said, flashing him a knowing grin, then flopped down on the couch and began typing on his phone, presumably looking for the best gay bar in town. “Here, this one,” he said, holding up his phone a few moments later.

“The Wormhole?” Keith peered at his screen and grimaced at the name.

Pidge's eyes grew wide. “Yes! Go to that one!”

Keith and Lance looked at her confused.

“I mean, I just like the name,” Pidge said inconspicuously.

“All right! We’re doing it!” Lance cried.

_I guess this is happening…_

Keith wasn’t totally comfortable seeking out male attention in front of his friends but knew it was something he needed to be less shy about. Maybe he’d meet someone to help him get over Lance. At the very least, it was unlikely that Lance would find another girl to break his heart with at a gay bar. 

“Sure, Lance. What could possibly go wrong?” Keith said wryly as he turned off the game console and got ready to leave. Pidge followed him to the shoe rack.

“Keeeeeeeiiiiith,” Lance sang from the couch as Keith reached for his jacket. “Will you scratch my head again?”

“Uh…” Keith stopped, not sure what to do. He made eye contact with Pidge for a moment. She raised a suspicious eyebrow at him.

“O...kay...” Keith sounded uncertain but something compelled him back to the couch. Mechanically, he sat down.

“Later, guys,” Pidge smirked and left.

Lance leaned his shoulders against one of Keith’s legs and lay his head in his lap, face up this time. Keith swallowed.

“You want a pillow?” Keith offered, hoping Lance would say yes.

“Nah, you’re warmer,” Lance said happily and wiggled his shoulders against Keith’s thigh, making himself comfortable.

Keith took a careful breath and got to work, determined to stay in control of his feelings and not get sucked back in.

He dug his hands under Lance’s head and dragged his fingertips up and down the back of his skull in slow circles. A relaxed sigh came out of Lance.

_Oh shit, this was a mistake!_

Keith realized his error immediately as his feelings started to bubble up. He needed to stop, but instead, he leaned over Lance and stayed rooted to the spot. 

Hunk came out of the kitchen a few minutes later and cocked his head in surprise at the intimate scene in his living room. “I’ll uh… I’ll be in my room,” he said and tiptoed awkwardly past the couch.

Keith was too preoccupied to even notice Hunk walk by. He traced his thumbs over Lance’s eyebrows to his temples and then down the sides of Lance’s head.

“Mm, Keith. Your fingers are magic,” Lance murmured sleepily. 

Lance’s words sucked the air out of Keith. He couldn’t breathe. 

_He’s pulling me back in…_

He pressed his fingertips into Lance’s scalp more firmly and reflexively leaned closer. He wanted this man so badly.

 _How am I ever going to get over you?_

Keith wondered in agony.

He worked one hand down Lance’s neck and traced the other down the side of Lance’s face. Lance slitted his eyes open and looked up at Keith.

“How are you still single?” He asked as his head lolled into Keith’s palm. “You’d be the fucking best boyfriend.”

Keith’s insides melted.

“Lance…” he whispered and very nearly kissed him. 

He stopped his head from lurching forward with all the restraint he had in him and scratched behind Lance’s ears instead. He watched Lance inhale sharply in response to his touch. Lance’s lips parted and the softest moan slipped between them, making Keith’s abs tighten as a wave of adrenaline crashed through him. Lance winced and gripped one of Keith's wrists like the sensation was too much for him. He gently pulled Keith's hand away from his head, and clasped Keith's fingers in his hand. Keith’s skin burned at the touch, but he tentatively curled his fingers around Lance's.

Lance looked up at him and smiled. “I’m going to find you the _hottest_ guy at the club tomorrow,” he promised and squeezed Keith’s hand. He shifted onto his side and curled up closer to the man next to him.

A soft smile spread across Keith’s face. He gently stroked Lance’s hair with his free hand in awe of how hopelessly in love he was.

_Never…_

_I’m never going to get over you..._

Lance slowly drifted into sleep, still holding Keith’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that slow burn? Are we on fire yet?  
> Well, if there weren't flames, then we wouldn't call it Voltron hell now would we!
> 
> Art!!  
> [ I'll Never Get Over You ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/159396452224/purpleneutrino-im-never-going-to-get-over)Commission from @purpleneutrino on tumblr. My favorite soft moment so far.  
> [Game Night](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160599992149/ultimatesweetvengeance-art-inspired-by-this) Fanart from ultimatesweetvengeance on Tumblr! Fanart is the highest honor. Thank you so much!!  
> [ You'd be the best boyfriend... ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/162672706999/i-met-nargharts-at-the-anime-expo-voltron) I met @nargarts at a Voltron cosplay gathering and she presented me with this. Highlight of Anime Expo for me, for reals!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Lance was singing Gay Bar by Electric Six. Do people still know that song? Well, you do now!
> 
> Also, holy shit that one paragraph is the porniest non-porn I've ever written. >_>
> 
> Next chapter... I'm sending these boys to the gay bar!! xD


	8. The Wormhole Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > The Red Paladin  
>   
> 2 oz fireball Cinnamon Whiskey  
> 3 oz Ginger Ale  
> Splash of grenadine  
> Garnish with red hots or your favorite fiery candy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy 7,000 word chapter, Batman!! This took forever to edit, but I really didn't want to break it up. You guys, I am so freaking proud of this chapter! I've been trying to get these boys to the gay bar since the beginning. I didn't think it would take EIGHT chapters to get here... >_>
> 
> Please let me know what you think when you're done!

Keith and Hunk joined the back of a long line of predominantly young men outside the gay bar Lance had picked out. 

“The Wormhole…” Hunk groaned at the sign hanging on the front of the building. “Ugh, that's quite a visual.” 

Keith grimaced too, feeling equally apprehensive, and wondered why he’d agreed to this outing.

Last night, he’d realized that he was head over heels in love with his best friend but knew he could never act on it. It was exhausting to pretend he didn’t have feelings, so he’d called a temporary truce on the matter and accepted the situation for what it was. It would take time, but one day he’d get over Lance.

He was mostly at peace with that decision, but it didn’t help him much with the evening’s predicament: Lance was determined to be his wingman, which meant Keith was going to have to endure being pushed at other men all night by the man he loved. The thought of it stabbed at his insides and filled him with dread.

In addition, Lance had jokingly threatened to show up in booty shorts and a crop top. Keith hoped he’d managed to convince him not to come as a walking stereotype. The night was already going to be awkward enough, the last thing he wanted was to be a spectacle. 

Keith snapped out of his anxious thoughts and wondered where Lance was. The line had moved faster than expected, and he and Hunk were nearing the front.

“Good evening, boys!” A familiar voice sang.

Keith and Hunk turned to see Lance stroll up. Both heaved sighs of relief upon seeing he hadn’t made good on his threat and had opted for a blue button down and jeans instead. Keith caught himself looking Lance up and down and let his eyes linger longer than usual. At least at this bar there would be plenty of eye candy to distract him from his feelings, he told himself. He set his internal turmoil aside and casually greeted his friend.

“Boys night out begins!” Lance threw his arms around his two friends’ shoulders. “We’re gonna have some real bonding moments tonight, I can feel it!” Lance said excitedly.

“Are you guys ready for this because I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” Hunk shifted nervously.

“Don’t worry, Hunk. It’s more or less just like any other bar,” Lance assured him.

“Except there won’t be many women here that are interested in you, Lance,” Keith paused, pretending to think. “Oh, I guess it is just like every other bar,” he said with bite.

“Uh, rude! But I’m not here for the ladies tonight, Keith,” Lance said winking at him.

Keith let out a snort. That was Lance, he thought. Easily adapting to any environment was his forte.

“Ugh, I feel sick” Hunk put his hands over his mouth as they approached the door.

Keith took Hunk by the shoulders. “Hunk, remember when I first came out how you kept calling me ‘Gay-Keith’, but then you eventually realized I was still just Keith? This may be a _gay_ bar, but it's still just a bar. Don't get hung up on the descriptor, okay?” 

His pep talk appeared to have instilled some confidence in his friend.

“Yeah, okay. I can do this. I can totally do this. It's gonna be fine,” Hunk talked himself up.

 

They reached the front of the line and pulled out their IDs.

“Brought some friends with you tonight, Mr. McClain,” one of the bouncers addressed Lance as he checked his ID.

“Hey, Rolo,” Lance said, cracking a smile. He exchanged a few words with the door man.

Keith blinked as he handed over his ID, curious how they knew each other's names. He shrugged it off, figuring the guy at the door must have read it off Lance’s license. 

They passed the bouncers and moved into the club. Keith squinted through the haze from strategically placed fog machines as loud music flooded his ears and bass vibrated in his chest. Colored lights swayed from several points on the ceiling and lasers cut through the fog as they passed the dance floor. Keith's eyes gradually adjusted to the darker lighting, and he saw the club was filled with men from every walk of life. He'd never seen so many attractive men in one place at the same time before. Some were casually hanging out and drinking while others were involved in more risqué activities. 

Keith eyed two men who were making out against a wall with their hands in questionable places and bit his lip. He’d have given anything to be doing that with Lance.

To complete the ambiance, two ripped go-go dancers were positioned atop platforms bookending either side of the main bar.

“Whoa,” Keith said quietly, giving the nearest go-go dancer a once-over.

Lance grabbed Keith's arm and put his mouth close to his ear. “I told you this was a good idea,” he said enticingly. Keith nodded slowly, still staring at the dancer, and feeling a little overwhelmed.

Hunk, on the other hand, was freaking out. “This is not _anything_ like a regular bar!”

“About time you guys got here!” Pidge stepped out of the shadows and joined them.

“Hey, Pidge. Wait, PIDGE?!” Keith snapped out of the trance the go-go dancer had him under. Hunk and Lance yelled in surprise too. “What the hell are you doing here?” Keith asked.

“And how the hell did you get in?” Lance added, equally shocked to see her.

“You really think I'd miss this shitshow?” She looked at her three friends. “And I have my ways,” she said nonchalantly, turning her attention to her phone.

“You're not you making fake IDs, are you?” Lance asked suspiciously. “ ‘cause we coulda used that a few years ago.”

“As _if_ I'd waste my time with anything that boring,” she said. “I snuck in with Shiro. I’m not gonna drink anything, so it's fine,” she replied as if it were nothing and continued scrolling on her phone.

“SHIRO is here?” Keith asked incredulously.

“That goody two-shoes broke the rules?!” Lance cried in surprise.

“Yeah, he dances here,” Pidge answered Keith's question. Three jaws dropped.

“He _WHAT_?!” Lance, Keith, and Hunk exclaimed at the same time.

Pidge shrugged and pointed with her thumb over her shoulder to the far end of the bar. The three boys’ eyes followed her finger through the fog and dim lighting to where they could just make out the silhouette of a scantily-clad Shiro dancing atop a platform.

Hunk turned pale. 

“Holy shit, Shiro…” Keith blinked in amazement. 

“He would…” Lance frowned.

“I wasn't supposed to say anything, but you all got here on your own,” Pidge absolved herself.

“I did not see that coming. Is he even into... uh..., ” Keith started.

“Dick?” Pidge finished for him. “Don’t know, don’t care. He says it’s good money though, and a hell of a self-esteem boost.”

“Huh, I could actually see that,” Lance said, observing Shiro’s fluid movements. “I could totally do that,” he said confidently.

“Right…” Keith snorted. 

“Hey! Don’t you doubt these Latin hips!”

“You’re too skinny,” Keith said shaking his head.

Lance made an offended noise. “Some men like a twink, Keith!”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Keith retorted.

The group moved nearer to the bar to order drinks, sticking to the end without Shiro. Hunk was still uncomfortable as they waited. 

“Okay, yeah but guys, like what if a guy comes onto me but he’s, like, really nice about it. I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings but-”

“Hunk,” Keith cut him off, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”

“Try using mean look, I hear it’s super effective,” Pidge suggested very helpfully.

“Just politely say you’re not interested, and they’ll back off.” Keith said, but Hunk didn’t look reassured. “If you’re really worried, say you’re taken.” 

Hunk scratched his head. “I dunno, I mean I can’t just lie like that...”

“Jeez, Hunk! You’re like one text away from locking it down with Shay. It’s barely a lie,” Lance said. “Give me your phone and I’ll text her for you right now,” he said and reached for his friend’s phone. Hunk protected it like a baby.

“Or just lie like all the girls who shoot down Lance do,” Keith added.

“Yeup,” Pidge agreed.

“Hey! Hurtful!” Lance cried as he pushed into the crowd at the bar to order a round while everyone else hung back.

Keith peered between heads and watched Lance smile and chat with some guy next to him while he was waiting for the bartender. He scrutinized Lance’s body language. It was way too flirty.

Keith also couldn’t help but notice that the bartender acted familiarly with Lance. They were out of earshot but he swore he saw the bartender’s lips form the word ‘Lance’ and then smile warmly before he ordered. Maybe it was just a trick for extra tips, but they had definitely exchanged more words than were necessary to order four drinks.

Keith pushed his way in to help Lance carry the drinks. “Hey, I saw you talking to those guys. Don’t lead people on like that,” he said aside to Lance as they moved away from the bar.

Lance made a affronted face. “I can flirt if I want to. And, who said I was leading him on?”

“Come on, Lance. It really sucks when straight people do that,” Keith contended.

Lance eyed him sideways. “You don’t have a monopoly on men, Keith,” he said with assertion. Keith had more to say but bit his tongue as they approached earshot of Hunk and Pidge.

Lance distributed the drinks. “Okay! Heads up guys! The drinks here are strong, especially yours Pidge. The strongest of ginger ales,” he grinned at her. “But seriously, they pour with a heavy hand.” He lifted his glass. “Before we get started, Keith,” he said, turning to his friend with a confident smirk, “checkpoint, please.”

Keith shot him an annoyed look. “We’re doing that tonight?”

“Of course! I’m your wingman, and you’re my checkpoint man,” Lance said and smiled back at him even more brightly.

Keith sighed and took his time taking a thoughtful swig of his drink before responding. “Twink,” he said and smirked triumphantly at Lance.

“Nuh-uh, Keith! You know that’s a violation!” Lance waggled a finger at him. “No themed words!”

“Twink,” Keith repeated defiantly.

“Wow, Gay-Keith is sassy,” chuckled Hunk.

Lance scrunched up his face in frustration. “I’ll let it slide this time, Kogane, but only because it’s the first checkpoint,” he said and moodily sipped his cocktail.

Keith rolled his eyes and walked through the crowd to look for a table to stand around. Lance insisted on finding one with easy access to the dance floor, so the group claimed a spot near the stairs that led down into the pit.

Keith leaned against the railing that circled the dance floor and surveyed the crowd a few feet below. He had to admit he was glad he’d come. This bar had a completely different vibe to the ones they normally frequented. He wasn't used to seeing men be so open with one another. It was oddly freeing.

Lance came up behind Keith and rested his chin on his shoulder, looking into the crowd with him. Keith started at the close proximity.

“You gonna come dance with me?” Lance tempted him, putting one hand on the railing next to Keith's.

“Maybe…” Keith said with a hint of flirtation. Lance leaned against him more and continued scanning the crowd. Keith sighed to himself, feeling the warmth of Lance’s body behind him.

“Check him out,” Lance gestured at a man that resembled the one that had sparked their flirtatious conversation at Shay’s birthday.

“Nah,” Keith said disinterested. He slid his finger along the railing until it touched Lance’s hand and held his breath, wondering if Lance had noticed. Lance pointed at a few more men, but Keith stayed lukewarm to his suggestions.

“Jeez, are there any you like?” Lance stepped to his side to look at him, perplexed.

“There might be,” Keith said, looking directly at Lance, and watched the colorful club lights dance off his face. “I’m not sure he'll go for it though,” he added with a lump in his throat. 

“Are you kidding?” Lance cried in frustration. “They’d be lucky to...” he mumbled to himself. 

“What?” Keith said, taken aback by the complement.

Lance paused and gazing pensively into his drink. “It’s Shiro, isn’t it...” he said with some hesitation, looking up at Keith.

Keith raised his eyebrows at Lance in disbelief. He was truly the most oblivious person he had ever met. “Why? Would you be jealous?” Keith snorted sarcastically.

“Ugh, I knew it,” Lance said with disappointment and slumped forward on the railing.

“What? No!” Keith was surprised at Lance’s reaction. “It’s not,” he said firmly, but Lance’s posture didn’t change. “Hey, it’s really not,” he repeated, laying a hand on Lance’s shoulder.

“You sure?” Lance sounded insecure.

“Lance, you idiot,” Keith smiled encouragingly and stroked his shoulder. He reached to touch his oblivious friend's head, but Lance stood up and rubbed his face wearily before he could. 

“Look, if you find someone you’re interested in, tell me and I'll make it happen,” he said with determination. “Just, not Shiro…”

Keith blinked at him and wondered what the sudden obsession with Shiro was about.

“Come on, let’s go dance. All of us,” Lance suggested to Hunk and Pidge as well, trying to lighten his mood.

“I’m good for now,” Keith said holding up his half-finished drink, wanting more time to collect his nerves.

“Ugh, we need to get you properly motivated,” Lance muttered and sauntered off.

Keith rubbed his forehead, confused by the very mixed signals he was getting from Lance again.

 _Don’t fall for it. He’s straight... right?_ Keith wondered for a moment but decided to err on the side of caution. He was certain it was just wishful thinking on his part.

Lance returned a few minutes later and set down two lemon drops on the table with a clatter.

“Here. Liquid courage, Keith. Finish these, then find me down there,” Lance said to him and pointed at the packed dance floor before disappearing down the steps and into the crowd.

 

Pidge and Hunk hung back with Keith. They stood around the tall table looking at their phones. Hunk looked like he was starting to feel more comfortable. It was obvious from the grin on his face that he was texting Shay. Passively hanging out with his friends really did make it feel like any other bar, Keith thought.

In-between looking at things on his phone, Keith subtly checked out some of the other men in the club and slowly realized that he didn’t need to be so inconspicuous about it. He definitely noticed a handful of guys looking at him with little to no subtlety. It was such a stark contrast being in a place where his preferences were the default.

He leaned on the table and looked to his side over the railing and scanned the mass of bodies below, the alcohol beginning to seep into his veins. There was certainly no shortage of attractive men, but he was so very hung up on one in particular. His eyes wandered over the various forms on the dance floor, but his gaze came to rest on Lance, who was right in the thick of it moving with the crowd. Keith immediately felt warm inside.

“Wow, these drinks are strong,” Hunk remarked, inspecting his cocktail.

Keith nodded in agreement. He had just started the second lemon drop but already felt about three drinks in. He glanced at the drink in his hand then gazed wistfully back at Lance who was moving to the edge of the crowd towards the stairs. He thought about how sweet Lance had been the night before, dozing off in his lap tightly grasping his hand, and smiled more than he realized.

“Somebody’s got a crush,” Pidge said out of the blue, eying him over her phone.

Keith’s head snapped in her direction. “I do not!” He said too quickly to be convincing.

“Oh, someone caught your eye Keith? Which one?” Hunk put a hand over his eyes and scanned the crowd.

“ _Nobody_ ,” Keith insisted, narrowing his eyes at Pidge. He swirled his drink and took a long sip.

“Hey guys!” Lance yelled over the music, rejoining them at the table. Keith nearly choked on his drink. “Oh my god, Keith, I’m overdue for a checkpoint. Some guy just bought me shots! Quick, before they start to hit me!”

The top three buttons of Lance’s shirt were undone, and Keith, in his rather buzzed state, couldn’t stop his eyes from tracing the v-shaped opening that revealed a tight tank top underneath.

Pidge’s gaze was locked on Keith. A devious grin spread over her face. “Oh, it’s _somebody_ all right!”

“PIDGE!” Keith warned harshly and stared daggers at her.

Hunk looked between Pidge and Keith and then between Keith and Lance. 

“Ohhh,” he said as understanding crept over him then made a gesture to Keith indicating he would keep his mouth shut. Keith felt himself turning a hot shade of red and had an urge to run away, but he didn't want to leave Pidge the blabbermouth alone with Lance.

“Pidge isn’t a valid keyword, Keith! Come on, stop messing with my experiment,” Lance complained.

“Go scope out the dance floor for me. I'll meet you down there in a sec,” Keith said hurriedly. His words delighted Lance, but Keith’s true motivation was to make sure Pidge didn’t have an opportunity to spill the beans.

“I’m onto you, Keith,” she said once Lance left, narrowing her eyes.

Keith chugged the rest of his lemon drop and slammed the empty glass down. “Look at that! I need another drink!” He said and bolted from the table.

 

 

Keith collected his thoughts at one of the smaller bars in the back of the club. He felt humiliated that his friends had figured it out. Lance was such an idiotic person to fall for. He hoped Hunk and Pidge wouldn’t give him too hard a time about it. He sighed, knowing Pidge, at least, probably would.

“Hey sweetie, what can I get you to turn that frown upside down?” A muscular and flamboyant bartender asked playfully.

“Something strong,” Keith said rather frazzled.

“Mmhmm, I like ‘em strong too,” he said with a wink.

The bartender whipped something up and dropped a tall, blue drink in front of him. Keith ordered drinks for Pidge and Hunk too, hoping to bribe them into silence.

“You know what, I’ll take a shot as well,” Keith added at the last minute as he paid, knowing an uncomfortable conversation was waiting for him back at the table. He tossed the liquid into the back of his throat, wincing as it burned, then carefully collected the other three drinks in his hands. With trepidation, he returned to his friends at the table.

 

“A beer for Hunk,” he placed an amber ale in front of him. “A virgin mint mojito for Pidge to keep her mouth _shut_ ,” he shot her a serious expression. “And an adios motherfucker to blast me into oblivion.”

“Isn’t that Lance’s favorite drink?” Pidge smirked as she picked up her glass. 

Keith looked at the tall, bright blue cocktail in front of him and realized why it looked so familiar. “I’m pretty sure it’s not,” he lied and took a long swig.

They sat in silence for several awkward moments, Pidge on her phone and Hunk fidgeting with his thumbs.

“Soooo, Lance, huh?” Hunk asked gently, breaking the silence.

Keith felt himself die a little inside but sucked it up as best he could. “Alright, I guess we’re doing this.” He looked at Hunk clearly embarrassed, but the alcohol in his system made it easier to talk. “Yeah, Lance. Fuck...” He leaned his elbows on the table and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “It’s stupid, right?”

Pidge snorted.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying my suffering, Pidge,” Keith snapped at her, causing her expression to grow apologetic.

“I mean, you like who you like, right?” Hunk chipped in optimistically.

“He doesn’t know, right?” Keith asked in a worried voice, looking between his two friends. Even Hunk laughed this time.

“ _Captain Oblivious?_ ” Pidge asked incredulously.

“I don’t know how long you’ve been harboring feelings, but even we were surprised,” Hunk reassured him.

“Hunk’s just being nice. We weren’t that surprised,” Pidge informed him.

 _Great_ , thought Keith. 

“My point is,” Hunk continued, “I doubt he has any idea, if that's what you're worried about.”

Keith nodded, grateful for Hunk’s perspective. “It’s better that he doesn't know. It’s stupid, and nothing is going to come of it, so I’d appreciate it if you both forgot we had this conversation,” Keith said, ready to bury the matter.

A pause passed between them. Hunk and Pidge exchanged glances.

Pidge furrowed her brow. “If you ask me, he’s got the hots for you too.” 

“Based on what, his aggressive heterosexuality?” Keith blurted out in response to the ridiculous idea.

Hunk fidgeted. “Yeeeaaah, I agree on the aggressive part, but hetero…” he paused, choosing his words carefully. “I mean, I live with the guy. I’ve seen who he brings home. Let’s just say, I don’t think Lance is one hundred percent straight.”

“What?” Keith said slowly, staring at his friend, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Lance has brought home... _guys??_ ” He could barely even say it, it was too good to be true.

Hunk’s eyes grew wide, and he nodded slowly at Keith. “He’s pretty low-key about it, but I’ve heard things through the walls...” he cringed and stared into the distance remembering.

Keith stood up straighter and stared into his drink at this unprecedented discovery. He’d only ever seen Lance hit on women. He couldn't even recall Lance ever alluding to being attracted to men. Keith scoured his memory, trying to find any hints he might have missed. Suddenly, the conversation where Lance had given him tips on how to flirt arose in his mind. He’d been irritated with Lance for trying to explain to him, the gay one, how to pick up men, but maybe Lance did know something about it after all. Lance had said something about men being more direct and had given a non-answer when Keith had made a snarky remark about him hitting on guys.

_Which is exactly what you do when you’re trying to be low-key about it!_

Keith gasped inwardly, his mind suddenly going a mile a minute, rethinking everything he’d ever heard Lance say. He thought of how, that very evening, Lance seemed to know both the door man _and_ one of the bartenders.

 _Holy shit, he’s been here before!_

He put a hand over his mouth in shock. It was true. Lance liked men. Keith wondered how the hell he had missed it. It changed everything!

“You doing okay there?” Hunk asked him with concern.

Keith caught himself from getting too excited about this news. “Okay, but... even if he’s bi or something, _me_?” He turned skeptically back to Pidge, heart pounding. He needed more evidence before allowing himself to believe that Lance could actually have feelings for him. 

“Dude, come on!” Pidge said with irritation. “Like every third word out of his mouth is your name. He fell asleep with his head in your lap yesterday!”

“Yeah, you guys looked pretty cozy on that couch,” Hunk added. 

“And he affectionately calls you his 'checkpoint man’,” Pidge continued. “Like, do you really think he could go a day without hearing from you? You're already an obnoxious, codependent couple. Just suck his dick and make it official already!” She looked at him and let her words sink in. 

Keith’s heart was in his throat. “Wouldn’t he have acted on it by now if he felt that way? I mean, it’s _Lance_...”

“Oh my god, you’re as dense as he is!” Pidge exclaimed, putting a palm on her forehead. “Keeiiiiith, will you scratch my head? Keeiiiiith, come dance with me! Keeiiiiith, pay attention to me!” She said, giving her best Lance impression.

Keith blushed at the realization he was having. Pidge’s examples were pretty convincing, but there was more that she didn’t know about. Lance _had_ made a move.

 _The park..._

At the time, Keith hadn’t even considered that Lance might be into men, but if he looked at their drunken encounter through that lens, it suddenly made a lot more sense. Lance hadn’t run away or rejected him when Keith had accidentally let slip his affections. If anything, Lance had come onto him pretty strongly. He may have been drunk at the time, but it seemed at least somewhat plausible that Lance really did have feelings for him. A flicker of hope lit up Keith’s insides. Perhaps he stood a chance after all.

“And what about you? Have _you_ acted on it?” Pidge asked.

“Of course not!” Keith had restrained himself many times over and began to wonder if Lance had been doing the same.

“Exactly! All I’m saying is, I'd bet that if you made a move, he’d go for it,” Pidge said. Hunk nodded in agreement.

Keith fell quiet after hearing his friend’s perspectives, his reality suddenly entirely different. It was a lot for his buzzed brain to take in, but the corners of his mouth lifted with a bit of confidence. 

“Huh...” Keith pondered, taking a large gulp of his drink. “I uh… I think I might head down to the dance floor,” he said shyly.

“God, finally! Let’s get this show on the road!” Pidge said excitedly. She locked her phone and followed after Keith.

“Hey, I’m coming too! I’ve got your back!” Hunk called, not wanting to be left behind.

 

 

Keith was too tipsy to formulate a solid plan. He didn't know exactly how he was going to do it, but he headed to the dance floor with one thought reverberating through his mind: He was going to get Lance. He took a deep breath on the stairs then forced his way into the vibrating crowd and began ducking between bodies. Only last night, he’d accepted that he could never act on his feelings for his friend, yet there he was, planning on doing just that.

_Lance was right, the drinks here are strong._

He paused near the middle of the floor and did a three-sixty survey, Hunk and Pidge on his heels.

“There he is, near the wall!” Hunk used his height to pick their friend out of the crowd.

They made their way towards him. Keith caught a glimpse of Lance’s head through the tangle of bodies. He darted around a couple locked together from hip to head just in time to see Lance pulling a blonde man flush against his body from behind. Keith's breath caught in his chest. The stranger, who Keith derisively decided looked like he fell out of a Final Fantasy game, tossed a smile over his shoulder at Lance. Lance’s hands ran over the man's body as he lifted one hand up to touch Lance’s face.

“Oh... Oh no.” Hunk said both horrified and sympathetic with his hands on his cheeks.

Keith, paralyzed on his feet, felt his heart crack when he saw Lance nip at the stranger’s ear then whisper something to him. The boy in Lance’s arms smirked and spun around to face him. They locked eyes and smiled at each other for a tense second. Keith’s insides crumbled as he saw where this was going. His shoulders fell slack, the wind lost from his sails as he watched Lance make out with this rando not ten feet in front of him. He was five seconds too late.

“That’s our Lance,” Pidge said unsurprised, crossing her arms, though she was clearly disappointed.

“To be fair, Keith, he’d probably make out with anything willing,” Hunk tried to comfort him, but it really didn’t help.

Keith didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. He tore his eyes away from the scene in front of him and began pushing his way through the crowd to escape the situation entirely.

“God dammit, Pidge,” he cursed to himself, at the same time recognizing that his stupidity was in no way her fault. He’d wishfully gotten his hopes up again. The fact that Lance was attracted to men would have had him doing cartwheels were it not also for the fact that Lance would clearly make out with a log if it fell in his lap at the right time. And the other night in the park, that he foolishly thought might have meant something, Keith had just so happened to be that log.

He leaned against a wall in a less crowded part of the bar, crossing his arms over his chest, halfway hugging himself. It was Nyma all over again but worse.

_It was one thing when I thought he was straight…_

Lance being into men didn’t necessarily mean that Keith was special to him, he realized. It just meant there were twice as many people for Lance to hurt him with. Keith felt himself entering a familiar downward spiral.

 _No. Fuck this._ Keith caught himself. _I’m done with him._ He decided adamantly and marched straight back to the bar. He’d wanted an impetus to get over Lance. Now he had one.

 

“You back for more of me?” The same bartender greeted him.

“Yes. I want to get fucked up!” Keith said with grit and handed over his credit card.

“Oh honey, whoever he is, he’s not worth it,” the bartender said sympathetically.

Keith pointed at a bottle. “Shots,” he said firmly and held up three fingers. “Line them up.” 

“Coming right up,” the bartender said reluctantly. Three shot glasses were placed before Keith. As they were being filled with an amber liquid, Lance found Keith at the bar.

“Hey, are you okay? Pidge said you were looking for me,” he called. Pidge and Hunk caught up a second later, looking concerned. “I kept waiting for you to join me, but you never showed,” Lance pouted. 

“Seems like you still had fun out there,” Keith spat, giving Lance a dirty look.

Lance looked at him perplexed. “You’re not being a very good checkpoint man tonight, Keith. I’m disappointed.” Lance slung an arm around Keith’s shoulder to lighten the mood. “You know I need my checkpoint man,” he tried to tease, but Keith was having none of it.

“Fuck off, Lance!” He viciously shrugged out from under Lance’s arm and snatched up one of the shots the bartender had finished pouring.

“Whoa! What’d I do?” Lance asked defensively.

“Here’s a checkpoint for you and your Final Fantasy fuckboy," he yelled, already too smashed to stop himself from running his mouth, "TEQUILA!" He raised the glass to Lance before downing the shot. 

Lance shook his head confused. “Fuckboy? What are you talking about?”

“I think he means the guy you were dancing with,” Hunk said behind his hand. They exchanged glances. 

“Aw Keith, you jealous?” Lance teased him with a smug smile.

Keith glared at him and grabbed another shot. “ _TE-QUI-LA!_ ” He enunciated each syllable before tossing the second shot into his mouth and slamming the empty glass on the bar. The burning in his throat matched his anger perfectly.

“Whoa, slow down there or you’ll be the one needing checkpoints,” Lance laughed but there was a hint of concern in his voice. “Seriously, are you okay?”

“NEVER BEEN BETTER!” Keith reached for the third shot. Hunk and Pidge lunged forward to stop him, but Lance got there first. He put his hand over the shot glass that was clenched tightly in Keith’s fist.

“This one’s for me,” Lance suggested, picking up a lime chaser off the bar and offering it as a trade. Keith’s grip slowly relented. He snatched the lime and sucked on it hard, still fuming. Lance slid the shot down the bar and out of Keith’s line of sight.

As Keith chewed the lime, a crazy idea crept into his drunken and enraged mind. If Lance was a warm body chaser and shameless flirt all the time, then why not run with it? Who said he couldn’t be the object of Lance's attention for a night? The weight Keith had been carrying over his feelings for Lance suddenly lightened. There wasn’t anything to lose if nothing was at stake. So what if it was meaningless? So what if he wasn’t special? Why not go for it with Lance once before giving up on him forever? A devious smirk twisted on his lips. Tequila-driven Keith decided it was finally time to have a little fun.

“Dance floor,” Keith said flatly to Lance.

“Huh? Is that another checkpoint or- ” Lance looked at him unsure.

“Take it to the dance floor, McClain!” He grabbed Lance by the wrist with one hand and swiped the third shot Lance had tried to hide from him in the other, swallowing it as he headed towards the music.

“It’s about time!” Lance yelled stumbling behind Keith, unsure how that situation had turned around but not about to question it.

Pidge and Hunk tagged after, the former excited to see disaster unfold, the latter concerned over the amount of tequila his friend had just ingested.

 

The group, lead by Keith, edged their way into the thick crowd and carved themselves out a space. Keith relaxed and let his body feel the music. He moving closer to Lance. Pidge and Hunk stepped back, giving them room but not so much room that they couldn't also spectate.

_First, I have to capture his attention._

Keith made eye contact with Lance, crossed one leg over the other, did a half spin, and moonwalked past Lance. “Show me what you got, McClain!” He shouted over the music.

Lance’s face lit up at the challenge. “A dance-off? Hell yes!” He proceeded to do the robot, complete with with robot finger guns.

“Dorks!” Pidge shouted at them.

_That was easy enough… Now to set the tone._

Keith shook his hips and ran his hands through his hair. He shot a smile at Lance, turned around, and playfully shimmied his hips against him for a second. Lance took notice and raised one eyebrow.

On his turn, Lance did some quick salsa footwork around Keith while saying something in Spanish that Keith couldn’t understand. He gripped one of Keith’s arms for support, propped himself up with one leg, and dipped himself in front of Keith. He put his hand on his chin and wiggled his eyebrows at him from the bottom of his dip.

They continued back and forth, each round escalating and attracting amused eyes from nearby club-goers. Pidge was positively vibrating at the idiocy she was witnessing. Hunk was happy everyone, himself included, was having fun, though he wished Shay could have been there too.

The music faded into something with more of a beat. 

It was Lance’s turn in their game. He began exaggeratedly stripping out of his shirt, undoing the rest of the buttons one by one. He popped out his chest as his slid the shirt over his shoulders, struck a cheesy pose, and winked at Keith.

Keith took in an eyeful of Lance’s tight tank top and toned arms and felt a little lightheaded. It was closer to the dynamic that he wanted, but Lance was still acting like this was a joke.

_Time to wipe that goofy smile off his face._

Keith rolled his body closer to Lance with the music, closing the distance between them to inches. He ran a hand up Lance’s chest to his face, traced his thumb over Lance's lower lip, then dropped to a crouch with the beat. He gripped Lance’s thighs above the knee and brazenly locked eyes with the man whose attention he was determined to catch from crotch-height.

Hunk’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

“Lewd!” Pidge screamed, then doubled over with laughter.

Lance’s eyes widened, and he mouthed a ‘whoa’ that was swallowed by the music of the club.

Wanting to make his intentions unmistakably clear, Keith slowly stood up, keeping their bodies close, and slid the flats of his palms over Lance’s thighs, stomach, and chest. Inches apart again, Keith put his arms over Lance’s shoulders and breathed on Lance's lips with his eyelids half-closed. As soon as he saw Lance’s eyes flicker to his lips, Keith shot him a sassy grin and pushed him away. 

_But don’t make it too easy for him_ , Keith thought as he watched Lance stumbled backwards then whip around to stare wide-eyed at him. Keith stared back with challenge.

_Come get me, Lance._

The tone between them had shifted. It was no longer a goofy dance-off. 

Lance stepped close to Keith and gently brushing a hand down his back to his hip. “I suspected you had moves, Keith, but _damn..._ ” he said, leaning into Keith’s ear with only a trace of his trademark goofiness remaining in his voice.

Keith smiled cunningly, pleased that his plan was working. “Only when I’m wasted,” he said in a low voice, pressing his cheek against Lance’s and speaking into his ear for a teasingly quick second. 

“We get you wasted more often!” Lance said in amazement, looking Keith up and down like he was seeing him for the first time.

The song hit the chorus. Keith flipped around, ran a hand through his hair, and backed up into Lance. Lance let out a sharp breath before taking Keith by the hips and moving with him to the music.

“Wow, he actually did it. Nicely done, Keith!” Hunk said impressed.

“I can’t watch! I can’t _stop_ watching! But I can’t watch!” Pidge peeked through her fingers.

Keith reached up and ran his fingers along the back of Lance’s head. He felt a low moan come from Lance, who slipped his fingers under Keith’s shirt and pulled them across his abdomen, pressing firmly into his flesh.

 _Lance, you are so easy._ Keith smirked, thoroughly satisfied with himself.

Lance’s hands ran down Keith’s upper thighs, pulling him in closer. The music was building up to a peak, and Keith, though feeling the effects of the tequila, was preparing for this drop. When the music dropped, Keith got low, and Lance didn’t miss a beat behind him. They pulsed at the bottom with the music a few beats then popped their hips up in near-perfect sync. Keith bent at the waist and began twerking against Lance. He flipped his head forward, letting his hair fall over his eyes. 

“ _WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?_ ” Pidge shrieked. Hunk could only stare, mouth agape, at what he was witnessing.

Keith felt Lance’s hand run along his back and pull at the tangles of hair at the base of his scalp. When he stood up again, Lance was immediately against his back again, his breath hot on Keith's neck.

“Hot damn, Kogane. Hot. _Damn._ ” Lance breathed into Keith’s ear then kissed down the side of his neck. Keith faltered on his feet, barely able to keep dancing at the sensation. He shut his eyes and traced his fingers down the side of Lance’s face.

As the song transitioned into the next, Keith turned to face Lance, and the world spun, nearly sending him tumbling. Lance caught him by the torso and one arm to keep him on his feet. Keith threw his arms over Lance’s shoulders. 

“Oh my god, I can’t stand up!” He laughed.

“You can’t stand but you can dance flawlessly? Holy fuck, Keith! Who are you?” Lance cried in delight and wrapped his arms around Keith's middle, propping him up. “It’s okay, we’re slow dancing now.” 

Lance pulled him close, and Keith rested his face in the crook of Lance’s neck as they swayed back and forth. Lance slid a hand under Keith’s shirt and traced patterns on his low back. Lance was so comfortable and warm that Keith thought he might doze off.

“ ’mm reeeally drunk,” Keith mumbled with a giggle into Lance’s neck.

“I can tell! It’s good to see you let loose for once.” Lance squeezed him tighter.

“You’re gonna be the one taking care of me tonight,” Keith said, tugging at Lance's shirt.

“Mm babe, there are so many ways I could take of you,” Lance said smoothly.

Keith groaned as he melted at those words and gripped Lance’s tank top in his fists. This was what he had wanted so badly for so long. Being warm in Lance’s arms. Feeling wanted. It was absolute bliss. But then he remembered how quickly Lance fell for Nyma and all the girls he'd brought home, only to forget them days later. He reminded himself this was only for tonight.

“Fuck, Lance,” he whined, remembering why it hurt. “You gotta stop saying things like that or...” He pulled back and bumped his cheek against Lance’s, his inhibitions hanging on their last thread.

Lance pulled back too and rested their foreheads together. “Or what?” He asked daringly.

Pidge made a gagging face while Hunk bounced from foot to foot saying, “Oh my god, oh my god. They’re gonna kiss! It’s gonna happen!”

“Or I’ll never get over you,” Keith said sadly. 

“Get over me? Why would you...” Lance looked surprised, then laughed gently.

Keith started to pull away, but Lance caught him by the jawbone, not letting him go. “Hey…” He stroked his thumb over Keith’s cheek.

Keith leaned his face into Lance's hand and shut his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he saw the man he loved smiling back at him. The music faded to a dull thud in his ears and his heart felt like it had stopped. Keith cursed under his breath as his last inhibition snapped. He grabbed fistful of tank top to pull himself closer and kissed Lance’s smiling lips.

He vaguely heard Pidge and Hunk shrieking, but soon, the only thing in his world were Lance’s soft lips pressing firmly against his own. It wasn't anything like their sloppy makeout session in the park. Lance's lips moved slowly and deliberately and left Keith weak in the knees.

Keith ran his hands up Lance’s back and brushed his tongue against Lance's lips. They opened and Keith moaned quietly as he felt Lance's tongue gliding against his own. He wrapped his arms around the man he was finally kissing, pulling their bodies flush. Lance held him tight and kissed him back hard.

The weeks of emotional turmoil, the bitterness of seeing Lance with other people, the stress of not knowing where things stood… It had all been worth it for that moment. Keith could have died happy.

When their lips finally parted, Keith fell dizzily against Lance, the alcohol and excitement taking their toll.

“First kiss in a gay club. Why didn't I bring you here sooner?” Lance laughed, squeezing him, and kissing the side Keith’s head. Keith could hear the smile in Lance's voice.

 _He really doesn’t remember…_ Keith laughed to himself. 

“It's not…” he leaned back and smiled at Lance. “You don... youuu don rmmember. Youu vlacked out,” he began slurring.

“You are very drunk, Mr. Three-Shots-of-Tequila.” Lance said, booping him on the nose with his index finger.

“No, you-” Keith frustratedly failed find the words. Instead, he placed a hand against Lance’s cheek like he had the night in the park. “Like this.” He looked at Lance expectantly, waiting for an answer. 

Lance just smiled softly at him in return.

“ _Like this_ ,” Keith repeated, pressing his hand more firmly. 

“It’s gonna be time to get you home soon,” Lance said gently pulling Keith’s hand off his face and kissing it.

Keith tried to keep arguing but a panicked look spread across his face. He put a hand over his mouth.

“Uh oh, I know that look!” Hunk rushed in to drag Keith off the dance floor, frantically looking for a trashcan or a bathroom.

Keith didn't know what was happening. One moment he had been holding onto Lance, the next he was seeing the inside of a trashcan. Then, someone was propping him up but he couldn’t focus his eyes to see who. He sagged, wondering where Lance had gone. He willed his legs to stand on their own but they didn't respond right away. There were people talking around him, but he only caught snatches of what they were saying. Somehow, he found Lance again but was unable to do much more than cling to him. Soon, all he could hear was the low bass of the music thumping like a heartbeat.

But Keith wouldn’t remember his unresponsive limbs or the confusing situation around him. Keith wouldn't even remember Hunk dragging him away from Lance. Between the amount of alcohol he'd consumed and leaving it all out there on the dance floor, his memory had failed him.

Somewhere in the chaos of the night, Keith had blacked out.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *evilest of grins*  
> You didn't think Keith was getting out of this story without getting shit-faced first, did you?? >:)  
>   
> ART!  
> [ Come Dance With Me?](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160073076609/please-drink-responsibly-chapter-8) They both wanna dance but all they're doing is dancing around each other!! Even Keith's _hands_ are blushing! I can't!!! From @clionadraws on Tumblr  
> [ Dancing at The Wormhole ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/158969377829/amazing-commissions-from-catfishdraws-of-keith) One of my favorite scenes from @catfishdraws on tumblr. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!  
> [ The Kiss ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160683194829/aloeviera-please-drink-responsibly-commission) I have no words. aloeviera on Tumblr captured the tension and emotion of this scene so well. No. Words.  
> ["Come get me, Lance."](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/166158107299/clandestineknight-picture-for-my-dear) THIS LOOKS LIKE A BOOK COVER. I AM SHOOK. From @evinderp on twitter. Will post tumblr link when she posts it.


	9. The Wormhole Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > The Blue Paladin  
>   
> 2 oz Flavored Vodka  
> 2 oz Vanilla ice cream  
> 1 oz Blue Curacao  
> Mix in blender  
> Serve in tall shot glass with Lance flag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're still at the Wormhole and Keith is blacked out, so I guess we gotta look at things from Lance's perspective.

Lance would forever be grateful to Pidge for running up to him earlier that night.

“You are fucking up real bad! You need to go talk to Keith _right now!_ ” She had yelled with an urgency that was in stark contrast to her typically aloof demeanor. 

Even though there had been a very pretty boy in his arms at the time, Lance’s instincts had told him listen to her. He’d immediately gone in search of Keith and had found him doing shots at the bar. A very confusing series of events had followed where Lance couldn’t tell if Keith was mad at him or just belligerently drunk. By some magic though, it had ended with Keith being all over him on the dance floor. Lance didn’t know what he’d done to finally catch Keith’s attention but wasn’t about to question it. Keith had blown him away with his dancing. He’d suspected that Keith was repressed, but he had not been prepared for that. 

It wasn’t how he’d expected the night to turn out at all, especially once he’d found out Shiro was there too. For years, it had always been Shiro and Keith, Shiro and Keith. Lance had tried to push his way in and keep up with them, but they’d never taken him seriously. Eventually, he'd given up. Lance was also fairly certain Keith had a long-running thing for Shiro and only saw him as a giant nuisance, which made it all the more surprising that the unattainable Keith Kogane had just made out with _him_ in the middle of the dance floor.

Lance was on cloud nine with Keith finally in his arms. Tequila had transformed his usually restrained friend into the cutest hot mess he’d ever seen. Keith was grabbing Lance’s face and slurring his words, fervently trying to communicate something. Lance had no idea what he was talking about but gazed at him with amused fondness.

_He is so drunk right now…_

“I think it’s time to get you home soon,” he said, pulling Keith's hand off his face and kissing it. Then, all of a sudden, Keith was ripped from his arms. Lance looked up to see Hunk dragging Keith away with Pidge trailing not far behind.

“Hunk, what the hell?!” Lance shouted and chased after them. It had taken years to get Keith into his arms, he wasn’t about to let him go that easily.

 _Why would he do that?_

Lance felt hurt.

He caught up to them and saw Keith bending over a trashcan near one end of the main bar, puking his guts out. Hunk patted Keith’s back but looked in the other direction, trying to not throw up himself. Lance paused a few feet away from them.

_Oh, that's why..._

“Hunk?” A surprised voice said above them. “Keith??” Keith kept his head in the trashcan, but Hunk, Lance, and Pidge looked up to see a caught off-guard Shiro standing atop the nearest platform, his waistband brimming with dollar bills. Hunk stood mouth agape. Pidge quickly ducked behind him. Shiro didn’t even notice Lance was there.

Lance watched Hunk and Shiro stare at each other in shock while Keith leaned over the trashcan. Shiro recovered quickly and jumped down from the platform, rushing to Keith’s side, a few singles fluttered through the air in the wake of his movement.

_Oh no, not Shiro..._

“Keith, are you okay? What happened?” Shiro asked.

“ ‘mm fine,” Keith said then retched again. “Lannnnce...” He groaned into the trash.

“I got you, babe. I'm here.” Lance snapped into action after hearing Keith call for him. He moved to Keith’s side, relieving a grateful Hunk from vomit duty.

Shiro glared at him. “I should have figured you were involved in this. What the hell did you do to Keith?” He demanded.

“I didn’t do anything! He just got drunk!” Lance insisted as he helped Keith stand up.

Shiro snagged a water bottle from his platform and pulled Keith away from Lance to help him drink from it.

_No, don’t take him from me..._

Lance’s arms felt empty.

“This isn't like Keith. How much has he had?” Shiro asked, looking extremely concerned.

“Some kind of cocktail, then a couple of lemon drops,” Hunk counted on his fingers. 

“There was the tequila...” Lance added hesitantly.

“Ohhh, the tequila,” Hunk said. “And most of one other thing. Something tall, strong, and blue.”

“I guess you could say he had some of me on the dance floor,” Lance said smugly and made sure Shiro heard it. Shiro shot him an annoyed glance in return.

“An adios motherfucker,” Pidge whispered loudly from behind Hunk, where she had been hiding.

“A what, Pidge?” Lance cried in surprise. “He had an AMF _and_ tequila?? No wonder he’s fucked up!”

“ _Pidge?_ ” Shiro asked like he couldn’t have heard that right. He turned away from Keith, leaving him leaning against the side of his platform.

She laughed nervously as she stepped out from behind Hunk. “Heyyyyyy Shiro,” she smiled sheepishly.

“What are you doing in here?” Shiro crossed his arms and looked disappointed.

“Wait, I thought you said he let you in,” Lance said to Pidge, confused.

“Well, ah... Technically, I said I snuck in with Shiro. What I didn’t say was... he didn’t know that I snuck in with him,” she said with a guilty smile.

Shiro rubbed his temples in exasperation. “Pidge, you could get me in a lot of trouble.”

“I just wanted to see this shit go down. It’s not like I drank anything,” she said kicking the ground. 

“Even so,” Shiro retorted firmly. 

While they were arguing, Keith had regained control of his legs and had climbed onto Shiro’s platform.

“Uh, guys!” Hunk was the first to see and pointed at Keith on top of the platform.

Lance was at the platform’s edge in a flash. “Keith, what are you doing? Get down from there!” He yelled.

Keith crawled on his hands and knees to the edge of the platform towards Lance. “Hey, Lance,” he said, rolling onto his back and swinging his legs in the air. He arched his back with a drunk giggle and stroked the side of Lance’s face. Keith was a sloppy, drunk mess, but Lance was incredibly turned on by it.

_I wondered what he’d be like with no inhibitions, but damn..._

Keith rolled onto his stomach, shot his hips back, and tried to stand up sexily but wobbled on his feet. Hunk and Shiro rushed to the other sides of the platform in case he lost his balance. Pidge was too busy capturing the moment for posterity to step in.

“So this is drunk Keith,” she narrated to the camera.

“He’s going to crack his head open if he falls off that thing!” Hunk cried.

“Keith, come here! I've got you!” Lance tried to coax Keith down, reaching his hand out to him. Keith smiled and reached for him too, but before they made contact, Shiro stepped onto the platform, scooped Keith up in his arms, and carried him safely to the floor.

Lance looked helplessly at his outstretched arm. He’d been beaten to the punch by Shiro again.

“Shiro… you look good,” Keith said in a heavy voice and ran his hand over Shiro’s chest.

Lance’s heart sank. “Okay, put him down!” He demanded, inwardly panicking. If Keith liked beefy, muscled dudes, then he didn't stand a chance next to Shiro.

“Let’s get you more water,” Shiro said to Keith, ignoring his flirtatious comment and resting him gently on his feet. Lance hurried in to prop Keith up while Shiro went to get water. 

“I can get him water,” Lance muttered to himself, mad that he hadn’t thought of it first. Still, Lance was relieved to have Keith back in his arms and out of Shiro’s, even if he felt like he was failing to help.

"I found you," Keith giggled and rolled his face against Lance’s shoulder. 

Shiro pulled a few bills out of his waistband and turned to buy a couple bottles of water from the bar. As he turned, they all got a good view of Shiro’s booty short-clad behind.

Hunk turned pale. Lance bit his lip trying not to laugh.

“HIS ASS SAYS DADDY!” Pidge shrieked and pointed at the block letters adorning Shiro’s backside.

Shiro looked flustered but handled it stoically. “Well, obviously I didn't expect to run into all of you tonight,” he said taking Keith away from Lance again and handing him an opened water bottle.

“I’ve got him, Shiro,” Lance tried to hold on to one of Keith’s arms, but Shiro ignored him. In addition, Keith voluntarily shifted his weight over to Shiro.

“Nice shorts, daddy,” Keith laughed flirtatiously and slapped Shiro’s ass.

Hunk gasped in shock.

“Go drunk Keith!” Pidge egged him on.

Ice ran through Lance’s veins.

_No…_

As he’d feared, he was going to lose Keith to Shiro. Lance wasn’t sure he’d ever really had Keith to lose in the first place. He certainly couldn’t compete with Shiro, never mind half of the other men here. Lance wanted to see Keith happy, and had tried to pull him out of his shell enough to make that happen, but the thought of him with Shiro was too much. The guy was a legend. Keith was something of a legend himself. Lance slumped in defeat. It made sense that guys like them would never bother with a guy like him.

“You gonna dance for us?” Keith teased, leaning into Shiro. Lance turned his head away, unable to watch.

Shiro looked uncomfortable at the situation he was in but seemed determined to do the responsible thing. “Hunk, take Pidge home. I’ll tell my manager I have to leave early and take care of Keith.”

Lance couldn’t help but notice that he’d been left out of that plan.

_Fifth wheel again..._

“Uhhh… If anyone is taking people home, it's me,” Pidge said defiantly and with a hint of offense. She held up a set of keys. “I’m the designated driver.”

“Yeah, and I can take care of Keith,” Lance jumped in with a last-ditch attempt to be of use.

“Oh no you don't,” Shiro protectively pulled the drunk man away from Lance. “I don't think I can trust you. How much have you had to drink?”

“Relax, dad! Not that much,” Lance spat sarcastically. “Look, we’re not kids anymore. We have a ride,” he pointed at Pidge, “most of us are not drunk,” he gestured at himself and Hunk, “and if anyone know how to recover from over-imbibing, it's me! You can finish your go-go daddying or whatever you call this. Just _please_ , give me Keith!” Lance pleaded, holding out his arms.

Shiro let Keith stumble over to Lance, but he looked very unhappy about it. Keith fell against Lance reaching for his face again. Lance pushed his hand out of the way and wrapped his arms around him. Keith mumbled Lance’s name and clung to him in response.

_Yes, stay mine..._

”You gonna take me home?” Keith slurred suggestively and pulled at the top of Lance’s jeans. Lance sucked in a deep breath through his nose. It was everything he’d ever wanted to hear.

“Babe, you know I want to...” Lance whispered to him, shutting his eyes and holding Keith tight.

Their moment was interrupted when Shiro stepped very close to Lance and spoke in his face. 

“Lance, Keith is very drunk. If you don’t behave yourself, so help me I will-” he warned.

Lance looked appalled. “Holy Quiznack, Shiro! I'm not going to take advantage of Keith! Give me some fucking credit!” Lance exploded and held Keith protectively. 

Shiro looked relieved to hear him say that.

“He’s taken care of my drunk ass plenty of times! I owe him this much! And I’d never do anything to hurt him!” Lance added sincerely.

“You’ve hurt him more than you know!” Shiro retorted. “If I find him crying over you again-” he caught himself.

“Crying? What?!” Lance asked alarmed.

Shiro grimaced, realizing he'd said too much. “Nothing.”

“No, what the hell are you talking about? When did I...” Lance asked, genuinely worried.

“That's for Keith to tell you, not me,” Shiro said firmly.

“I bet it was that girl from the other night,” Pidge said, ever astute.

“Oh yeah, he looked pretty upset about that,” Hunk added.

Shiro put his palm against his forehead at the group's inability to keep a secret.

“ _Who?_ ” Lance honestly couldn't remember.

Hunk and Pidge looked at him with deadpan expressions.

"The one you wouldn't shut up about? At game night?" Pidge reminded him.

“Wait, _Nyma??_ ” He exclaimed after racking his brain.

“Fuck that ho!” Keith yelled against his neck, angrily gripping Lance’s shirt in his fists. 

“I LOVE DRUNK KEITH!” Pidge screamed nearly in tears with laughter.

Lance felt Keith's whole body tense up in his arms when he said Nyma’s name. He was horrified. He had no idea that it had upset him so much. 

“Keith… I didn't know…” Lance said quietly and looked at the man clinging to him. 

“Just know that your actions have consequences for others, Lance. And try to be considerate of his feelings,” Shiro acquiesced with a firm calmness.

_Feelings? He has feelings?_

Lance’s heart leapt. “Shiro… I really care about him,” Lance said as he cradled Keith's head. 

“Make sure he knows that this time,” Shiro instructed him. “Now, get home safe, all of you. And Pidge, I don’t want to see you in here again until it’s legal,” he added sternly before climbing back on his platform.

 

The group of four made their way out of the club to Pidge’s car relatively quietly. Lance’s mind was still reeling as he carried most of Keith’s weight.

“Hunk, you take shotgun. Put the lovebirds in the back,” Pidge said as she climbed into the driver’s side. 

Lance didn’t argue. He tried to get Keith into the back seat, but his drunk friend didn't want to let go of him. 

“He’d better not puke again,” Pidge said as Lance struggled to get Keith into the car.

“Ugh, if he pukes, I might puke too,” Hunk said, already queasy.

Lance awkwardly picked up Keith and dove into the back seat then wriggled around to get upright.

“You guys ready back there?” Pidge asked over the ruckus.

“I can't get the seatbelt on!” Lance cried, struggling as Keith was climbing on top of him. “He won’t get off me!”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Hold on tight then,” she said and backed out of the parking lot.

Keith crawled into his lap and straddled him. Lance stared up at Keith’s close face in disbelief. There he was. After years of thinking this would never happen, Keith was pressing against him and looking at him like he wanted to fuck. Lance nearly forgot to breath.

 _Take it easy, Lance. He’s too drunk for that._ He told himself. Still, it was an amazing feeling to finally be wanted by this man.

Keith ran his fingers over Lance’s face again and asked if he remembered.

“Why do you keep doing that?” Lance pushed his hand away and passed it off as drunken rambling. Keith’s head fell to the side of Lance’s, and he began nipping at his neck. Lance’s stomach sucked in, and he exhaled quietly.

“Keith, not now,” he whispered and tried to push him off.

Hunk looked over the back of the passenger side chair. “It’s awfully quiet back there. Are you guys making out?” He teased.

“Dude, that’s gross! He just puked!” Pidge yelled.

“We're not making out!” Lance insisted. “He's just... really squirmy. OW! He bit me!”

“Spare me the details,” Pidge said, even though she was smiling.

Lance finally got Keith to lay still against him. He was falling asleep on his shoulder.

“Jeez, Keith. What got into you?” Lance whispered as he stroked Keith's dark hair, wondering what had possessed him to drink so much.

Pidge turned a sharp corner. Keith jerked awake, made a nauseous face, then appeared to pass out on Lance’s shoulder again.

“Uh oh. Guys, he looks kind of sick again…” Lance warned the front seat.

“If he pukes in my car, you're paying the cleaning bill, Lance,” Pidge said. “This is your fault!”

“What? How is this my fault?” Lance asked defensively.

Pidge and Hunk looked at each other.

“Well, it was your idea to come out tonight,” Hunk offered as a plausible explanation.

“That’s not it,” Pidge prompted Hunk.

“Then what the hell?” Lance asked. There seemed to be an awful lot of information he wasn’t privy to.

“Well… After he saw you kissing that guy…”Hunk started.

“He saw that??” Lance asked loudly. “Shit…”

“Yeah dude, he finally decided to go after you and _that’s_ what he saw,” Pidge told him.

“After that, I guess he kinda...” Hunk trailed off.

“Self-destructed?” Pidge finished for him.

“He did this to himself over me??” Lance cried aghast.

“Hey, Captain Obvious, he really likes you,” Pidge said with a snarky edge. “He’s probably been watching you make out with other people for a while, and it finally got to him.”

“Yeah, it was really bad timing,” Hunk added without revealing too much more.

 _Keith…_

Lance pulled him closer. 

“Did you both know he was into me and not say a word? What the hell, guys?”

“I had my suspicions, but it’s not like you said anything either,” Pidge replied.

“I had no idea until last night when I saw you guys on the couch,” Hunk said defensively.

“How long do you think he’s felt that way?” Lance mused. “Shiro knew, so it must have been for a while. Keith isn't one to just bring this sort of thing up…”

“Let’s find out. HEY KEITH, HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIKED LANCE?” Pidge said, loud and clear so her drunk friend could understand.

“It’s not a truth serum, Pidge!” Lance protested. “And you can’t just do that to people when-”

Keith tensed and squeezed Lance tighter. “Forever,” he mumbled barely audibly into Lance’s collarbone, causing Lance to choke on the rest of his words.

“Did he answer?” Pidge asked, having not heard from the front seat.

“No. He’s asleep,” Lance lied, deciding that answer was for him alone. He rested his chin against Keith’s head and fretted over how much clout he could put in that answer. If it was true, if Keith had like him for as long as they’d known each other, then just how many times he had flaunted someone else in Keith’s face without knowing? Shiro was right, he had hurt Keith. 

_I had no idea..._

Lance held Keith and stayed quiet the rest of the ride home.

 

Pidge pulled up in front of her friends' apartment. Lance climbed out and pulled a semiconscious Keith out of the car. He slung one of Keith's arms over his shoulder. 

“Hunk, are you coming?” Lance asked, waiting for him.

“Nah, I'll crash with Pidge. You guys need your space,” Hunk responded.

Lance kicked the car door shut. “I’m literally going to put him on the couch. He’ll be out in five minutes,” he said into the driver side window.

“It’s cool. You’ll have a lot to talk about it the morning,” Hunk said.

“Suit yourself,” Lance said but appreciated it deeply.

“Wrap it up, Lance,” Pidge snarked. “Don’t knock him up.”

“Ha ha. That's not happening tonight!” Lance retorted.

“Tomorrow then,” Pidge shot him an evil smirk before driving off.

Lance paused and watched Pidge drive away, the realization what his morning might hold sinking in. He shook it off. He had to focus on taking care of Keith first.

 

Lance got Keith into his apartment and set him down carefully on the couch. 

“Hang tight okay? I’m gonna get you some water,” he said.

Lance got halfway to the kitchen before he heard Keith cry his name. He was back at his side in an instant. Keith’s face twisted.

“You need to throw up again?” Lance asked. 

Keith nodded looking sick.

“Okay, let’s go!” 

He hoisted Keith up and moved him quickly to the bathroom. They got there just in time. Keith kneeled over the toilet and emptied his stomach. Lance pulled some stray locks of hair out of the way while Keith vomited.

_He might be here for a while…_

Lance folded a towel over several times into a long rectangle.

“Hey, put this under your knees. The tiles are hard,” he said, but Keith didn’t move. Lance picked up Keith’s knees one after the other and shoved the towel underneath them. He ran to his fridge to grab a powerade from his stock. 

_Red or blue, red or blue... Keith like red, so red it is!_

Keith looked up at him in a daze when he returned to the bathroom, drink in hand.

“How you feelin’?” Lance smiled at him sympathetically and sat on the edge of the bathtub.

“Terrible,” Keith grumbled then gagged and put his head back in the toilet.

“Get it all out,” Lance said, gently rubbing his back.

“ ’mm sorryyy,” Keith moaned into the toilet between heaves.

“It’s okay. It happens,” Lance chuckled kindly.

Lance browsed the internet on his phone while he sat with Keith. Eventually, Keith stopped heaving and rested his head on the toilet seat. Lance looked up and wondered if he’d passed out.

“Hey, hydrate before you sleep,” Lance said, shaking Keith's shoulder. He flushed the toilet and set the powerade next to his slumped over friend before moving to the sink to begin his nightly skincare ritual.

“Noooo,” Keith moaned a few seconds later, flailing a hand in his direction. “Don’t go.”

“I’m right here, babe,” Lance said, putting his face moisturizer down. He returned to the edge of the bathtub and took Keith’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said soothingly.

Keith groaned again and gripped his hand tight.

Lance’s phone buzzed. He checked his texts with one hand, not letting go of Keith.

 

Shiro: How is he?

Lance: Praying to the porcelain gods

Shiro: What??

Lance: He’s throwing up in my toilet

Shiro: Make sure he drinks enough water.

Lance: I know! I’m taking care of it!

Shiro: Let me know how he’s doing.

 

Lance set his phone aside. He didn’t need Shiro’s help. He had this.

“Hey, drink some of this,” Lance encouraged, opening the bottle of powerade. He put it to Keith’s lips and tipped it up. Keith put his hands around the bottle to drink.

“You got it?” Lance asked, carefully letting go of the bottle.

Keith drank but failed to correctly coordinate tilting the bottle back down when he’d finished and spilled half the sports drink all over himself. 

“You don’t got it,” Lance deadpanned.

“Sssssshit...” Keith said, in a puddle of red.

Lance tilted his head and snickered to himself at the near-perfect Keith Kogane failing at the simplest of tasks right before his eyes. He was human after all. Lance also hadn’t imagined Keith could be this cute and thanked his lucky stars for how the night turned out.

“Ugh, you’re drenched,” he sighed in amusement. “We gotta get you out of that mess. Can you stand up?”

He helped Keith up and mopped up the liquid on the floor with the towel and his foot. Keith held onto him for balance but was only half-conscious on his feet. Lance grabbed the bottom sides of Keith’s shirt. 

“Arms up,” he instructed. Keith wobbled but complied. Lance pulled the shirt over his head and tossed the wet mess aside while also making sure Keith didn’t fall. 

“Holy fu-,” Lance said as he saw Keith’s ripped body. He turned away and shut his eyes for a moment.

“Ugh, I need to go to the gym more,” he told Keith.

“Pants next,” Lance said and watched Keith struggle to undo his own pants. 

“I got it,” Lance sighed reluctantly and swallowed, trying not to think too hard about what he was doing. He unbuttoned Keith’s pants and slid them down each leg past the knee, trying to not look at Keith’s crotch but fully aware that it was right there. He put the toilet seat down and made Keith sit on it. 

“You know, this is not how imagined taking your pants off for the first time,” he grumpily told Keith as he pulled the pants off one leg at a time, rather than risk having Keith try to step out of them.

He tossed a fresh towel over Keith’s lap and handed him what was left of the powerade. “Don’t spill this time. I am _not_ helping you out of your underwear!” Lance warned.

Keith managed to drink without incident. He touched his chest. “ ’mm sticky,” he complained.

Lance grabbed a small towel and ran it under the tap.

“Here, un-sticky yourself.” He handed the towel to Keith, who did a subpar job of cleaning himself off. Lance jumped in to help, inwardly screaming. He caught his eyes roving over Keith’s body and felt a ping from his groin. He finished wiping off Keith’s front quickly.

“I’m gonna get you a shirt!” He said loudly and tossed Keith a towel to dry off with. He went to his room and returned with a blue t-shirt. He got Keith into it as quickly as possible then let out a relieved breath.

“Okay, last thing,” Lance said and pulled out a spare toothbrush. “Stomach acid is really bad for that pretty smile.” 

Keith managed to give his teeth a rudimentary brushing and swirl some mouthwash. Lance got him to drink more water, then saw him to the living room. He set Keith up with a pillow, a blanket, and water, then settled him into the couch. Keith seemed a little more lucid than before, which Lance took as a sign that he was through the worst of it.

“ ‘night, Keith,” Lance smiled warmly, tucking him in and kissing his cheek.

 _We are going to have such a fun talk in the morning,_ he thought as he ruffled Keith’s hair.

 

Lance went into the bathroom and shut the door. “ _Phew,_ ” he sighed in relief, able to fully relax now that Keith was safely to bed. 

_Fuck… His body though…_

The outline of Keith's muscles were burned into his mind. Lance put thoughts of Keith's body aside and picked up his face cream again. When he was done, he texted Shiro to let him know Keith was out and yawned, ready to head to bed himself.

 

Lance pushed open the door to his room and stopped in his tracks a foot past the doorway. His eyes shot wide open and his jaw dropped. Keith was laying face-down on Lance's bed with his ass a few inches in the air. The blue shirt Lance had given him ended just above the roundest part of his butt.

“What the hell are you doing in here?!” Lance cried in alarm, unable to stop his eyes from tracing the edges of Keith's body.

“Lance…” Keith called to him and rolled his hips back until he was sitting upright, knees-splayed, on the bed. Lance’s dick jumped at the maneuver. Keith looked at him with bedroom eyes.

_No no no no no no no no no…_

Lance averted his eyes. “Keith, please go back to the couch,” he said with all his self-control. 

He saw Keith get up out of the corner of his eye. Lance stepped to the side of the doorway so Keith could get through the door with a wide berth. He looked at the ceiling as Keith approached, determined to keep his eyes off that ass. Keith fell against him. Lance stumbled backwards into the wall.

_Fuck... this is bad..._

“I reeeally like you,” Keith said tugging at the bottom of Lance’s shirt and pressing their bodies together.

“I know, but you’re so drunk right now,” Lance whined in agony. He could smell alcohol on Keith’s breath.

Keith leaned up and kissed him unexpectedly. It was sloppy but still hot. Two seconds into the kiss, Lance felt Keith fumbling at his crotch and swatted his hand away.

“Keith, stop. Look, I’ll let you sleep here, but that’s _not_ happening,” he said firmly to himself as much as Keith. 

Keith still leaned against him and pulled at his clothes. Lance groaned at how turned on he was. Keith was finally right where Lance had wanted him for so long, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

_Just wait until morning…_

  


Lance lay Keith down in his bed and turned him on his side, so they faced _away_ from each other. But, the second Lance’s back hit the mattress, Keith rolled over and cuddled up to him. Lance smiled in the dark.

 _I guess that’s okay._

He wrapped an arm under Keith’s head and around his body. Keith softly ran his fingers over Lance’s chest. 

_That’s okay, too._

Keith’s body was warm, and the feeling of his fingers tracing over his skin was relaxing. He sighed sleepily and began to nod off. Keith’s hand slowly crept lower on his torso.

“Mm, Keith,” Lance breathed drowsily. Keith’s hand moved lower and slipped under Lance’s waistband. Lance jerked awake with a sharp inhale as soon as he realized Keith’s hand was closed around his dick.

_That’s NOT okay._

He pulled Keith’s hand out of his shorts and sat up halfway, panting in shock.

 _Fuck! Oh fuck! Oh that felt so good!_

He clenched his fist in frustration until he regained control of himself.

He lay down with his arm under Keith again. Lance grasped Keith’s hand in his own and held it against his chest, preventing it from any further wandering. Lance’s breathing slowed and Keith lay still. Lance was fairly certain he’d finally passed out. He looked at his sleeping face and smiled.

_If he pukes again, it’s gonna land right on my chest..._

“Worth it,” he sang quietly and kissed Keith’s forehead. He was looking forward to the conversation they’d be having in the morning. He wanted to sleep quickly so the next day would come sooner, but Lance struggled to fall asleep. He had the most obnoxious, unanswered boner of his life.

 

 

Lance woke up with a start several hours later. He’d had the same dream again. The one where Keith was breathing hard underneath him and holding his face.

 _Wait a second, is that why he kept grabbing my face? How did he know?_ Lance wondered sleepily. 

And then something finally clicked. He realized that it hadn't been a dream at all. Lance remembered Keith's confession in the park. 

Lance grinned to himself. “Keith, I know your secret,” he told the man sleeping in his arms before drifting off again himself. 

In that moment, though he didn't know exactly how he’d managed it, Lance knew that he’d finally done it. Keith Kogane was going to be his.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LANCE IS BEST BOY.
> 
> How tragic is it that no one will never know how good Lance was to Keith? .o_o.  
> Only you, reader. Only you will know!!
> 
>    
> ART!  
> [ The Voltron Squad is a hot mess. ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/159179220564/bowiesnippleantennae-commission-for-badsuki) The perfect time to run into Shiro! From @bowiesnippleantennae on tumblr. Oh my lord...  
> [ Go-Go Daddy Shiro ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/159929856274/go-go-daddy-shiro-please-drink-responsibly) Couldn't resist this one. Oh my god. Look at him. JUST LOOK!!! '>_> From @Fibug on Twitter  
> [Keith on the Go-Go Platform](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/161623468284/smitty-mouse-drunk-keef-from-badsuki-s-please) Booty like POW! From smitty-mouse on Tumblr.  
> [ Keith is soooooo drunk! ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160315540724/kukkiia-commission-for-badsuki-for-her-amazing) From @kukkiia on Tumblr  
> 


	10. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance have a talk after their wild night out at The Wormhole but this time, Lance is the one wondering how much is remembered.

Keith woke up the next morning with a stabbing pain in his head. He slowly opened his eyes and was confused by the blue sheets and comforter. They were familiar, but he couldn’t place them in his mind. He stretched groggily, favoring his head, and took a deep breath in through his nose. A familiar scent filled his nostrils. It smelled exactly like…

_Lance!_

He gasped and sat up quickly, sending pain shooting through his forehead. He winced and pressed one hand against his head. His eyes darted around the room as he realized that he wasn’t at his own apartment. Between the NASA poster on the wall, the cork board plastered with pin-up girls, and the plastic glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, Keith knew exactly where he was. He was in Lance’s room, in Lance’s bed, and he wasn’t wearing any pants.

His heart rate climbed. He looked to his side to see the blankets next to him had been cast aside. There was an indent in the sheets where another body had clearly been. 

_Oh my god, I slept with Lance!_

Keith’s first thought sent him into a panic. He racked his brain trying to remember what had happened the previous night. Everything after they went to dance was hazy at best. Snatches of things that might have happened on the dance floor flashed in his mind, leaving him mortified. Everything after the bar was a complete blank. He had a vague memory of being draped across Lance somewhere but couldn’t tell where or if it had even really happened. He had no clue how he’d gotten into Lance’s apartment, let alone his bed.

_Oh my god, I slept with Lance... AND I CAN’T REMEMBER IT!!!_

He flopped back down onto the bed and panicked more. He’d had his one shot with Lance, and he was never going to know what it had been like. His head pounded, and he wanted to die.

Some noises from the kitchen interrupted Keith's internal crisis. It sounded like someone was cooking. He crept out of Lance’s bed and snuck into the bathroom to get himself under control. The fluorescent bathroom lights hurt his eyes. He blinked through the pain as his eyes adjusted then paled when he saw his and Lance’s clothes from the previous night strewn about the bathroom. He looked down at the shirt he was wearing and realized for the first time that it wasn’t his. It was one of Lance’s blues.

Keith groaned at the evidence of a fun time he’d missed. He found his pants in the bathtub, and his black shirt was damp and hanging by one sleeve off a towel rack. 

He pulled his pants on, chugged some water from the faucet, and, in lieu of a toothbrush, used some mouthwash he conveniently found on the bathroom counter. He checked his neck in the mirror and thankfully didn’t find any hickeys this time.

Keith took a deep breath and poked his head timidly into the living room. It smelled like bacon and made his stomach growl. He was surprised to see it was Lance and not Hunk making a ruckus in the kitchen. 

“Well, if it isn’t the hot mess himself!” Lance called from over the stove, a huge grin on his face.

Keith groaned in embarrassment as he edged into the room.

“Take a seat. Breakfast’ll be ready soon,” Lance said warmly, swaying to a beat and humming to himself while he scrambled eggs. Keith saw there were two plates laid out on the table.

“How are you never hungover?” Keith marveled, dropping into a chair at the table and holding his head.

“Sometimes I am, but you drank enough for the both of us last night,” Lance laughed.

He brought the spatula and pan over to the table filled the plate in front of Keith first. “A greasy breakfast and,” he fished in his pocket and pulled out a small bottle. “Ibuprofen. The Lance McClain patented hangover cure,” he smiled and kissed Keith’s head before filling his own plate and taking a seat on the other side of the table.

As he sat down, Keith noticed a purple mark on Lance’s neck that he didn’t remember being there the night before and had a horrible feeling that he was the one who put it there. Lance said something, jarring him from his thoughts.

“What?” Keith asked.

“I said you look good in blue,” Lance smiled at him from across the table before digging into his eggs.

Keith blinked and took in the scene around him. Lance had made him breakfast, was being unabashedly affectionate, and he was wearing one of Lance’s shirts. It was like he’d woken up in an alternate universe where suddenly they were dating, but he had no idea how they’d gotten to that point.

_What the hell happened last night?_

He looked at the morning-after eggs in front of him and blushed.

_Ugh, we definitely fucked..._

Keith picked up a fork and poked at the food on his plate. “Uh, about last night…” he started.

“Mmmhmmm,” Lance made an expectant noise. “Saw a whole new side of you.”

Keith cringed. “I had a lot to drink. I don’t remember exactly what happened... but I guess I threw myself at you pretty hard,” he said awkwardly and looked down at the table, unable to look Lance in the eye.

“Threw is an understatement,” Lance laughed. “But tequila and my irresistible charm will make you do that,” he grinned confidently.

“You’re intentionally making this difficult,” Keith complained, wearily rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah, but you’re so cute when you’re flustered,” Lance teased.

“I need you to tell me what happened,” Keith voiced sincerely. 

“Ya know, if you’d used checkpoints-”

“Lance!” Keith interrupted, growing impatient. “I... I woke up in your bed... Did we…” He couldn’t finish the sentence and pointed at the bedroom instead, asking with his eyes.

“I mean, yeah we slept together,” Lance said casually. “Do you not remember?” He shot Keith a sly smile. 

Keith turned beet red. Lance let him suffer a few moments longer before letting out a laugh and telling the truth. 

“Keith, you were quite the hot, and I mean _hot_ , mess last night,” he chuckled again before turning more serious. “But I wouldn’t fuck you or anyone else when they’re that shit-faced. Yes, you slept in my bed. No, we did not fuck. Not even close.” He smiled warmly.

Keith had never heard such a mature thing come out of Lance’s mouth that he blinked and did a double-take to make sure it was really Lance in front of him.

“Really? But your neck,” Keith pointed.

“Ah, yeah… You bit me in the car ride home,” Lance explained, rubbing the mark on his neck. 

“So we really didn’t…”

“Oh, believe me, you tried. You did not keep your hands to yourself! I exercised some serious restraint!” Lance scolded him.

Keith felt awkward. “Well, thanks for that… I wouldn't have remembered it.” He took a moment to process what Lance had said. Relief slowly washed over him. “You jerk, I believed you for a second. What’s wrong with you!” He griped, reaching for the Ibuprofen.

“Guess I wanted to see how you’d react if we had,” Lance said shyly. 

Keith nearly dropped the bottle of pills.

“You are very cuddly by the way,” Lance added fondly.

_I cuddled Lance and I don’t remember it?? Fuck my LIIIIIIFE!!!_

Keith cursed under his breath. “Well, I guess we're even then…” he said without thinking.

“Even?” Lance raised an eyebrow.

Keith looked at Lance and took a deep breath. “There’s something you don’t remember from the night we walked home through the park,” he started, too hungover to care about furthering the awkwardness.

“I remember you said it was something like this?” Lance picked up the spatula and pushed it against Keith’s cheek from across the table.

Understanding spread through Keith. “What? When did you-!” He cried in shock.

“Oh yeah, I figured out why the hell you kept grabbing my face last night,” Lance informed him, putting the spatula back down.

“You asshole! Have you remembered this whole time?!” Keith felt himself getting furious.

“Dude, chill. I didn’t at first, but I guess all your face grabbing jogged my memory,” Lance explained. “I’m glad I remembered though,” he added timidly. 

Keith was too stunned for words. Everything was finally out in the open, and he didn’t have a clue what to say.

“So what do you remember from last night?” Lance asked, turning the topic back to Keith’s more recent embarrassment.

“A lot of tequila…” Keith groaned, rubbing his head.

“Here, we’ll back it up. I'm assuming you don't remember sneaking into my bed," Lance smirked, "so do you remember being in my bathroom?”

“No, but I’m really curious how I somehow lost my pants and shirt in there...”

Lance smirked again in response and continued mapping the night out in reverse. “Do you remember getting back to my apartment?”

Keith gently shook his aching head.

“Being in Pidge’s car?”

“So that's how we got home…”

“Oh, wow, you don’t even remember leaving the club!” Lance laughed. “How about running into Shiro?”

“We ran into Shiro? Oh no!” Keith put his face in his hands. “Ugh, I was supposed to meet him at the gym an hour ago...”

“I think he knows you’re not gonna make it," Lance chuckled. " ‘cause you puked right under his go-go platform.” 

Keith made a frustrated noise and lay his head down on the table next to his plate.

“Dude, his booty shorts says ‘daddy’ on the back. I can’t believe you missed it!” Lance laughed with delight.

Keith raised his eyebrows in surprise. “No way! That’s… not what I would have expected from him.” 

“I know, right? Go-go daddy Shiro. Who saw that coming?” Lance seemed amused, which made Keith feel a little less awkward.

“I do remember puking somewhere though...” Keith sighed, sitting back up.

“So you remember dancing then?” Lance perked up.

“Yeah...” Keith said uncomfortably and looked down. “But I can’t believe I... ugh...” He groaned, remembering, and hid his face in his hands.

Lance grinned at him. “You were amazing.”

“That’s really the last thing I remember, dancing and then puking... It’s a blur after that,” Keith said.

Lance looked down at the table and rubbed the back of his head. “We uh… we kissed on the dance floor,” he said shyly but couldn’t hide his grin.

“We did?” Keith's arms fell slack, and he slumped in his chair. “Fuck...” he whispered sadly, almost wanting to cry.

“Ah, you don't remember?” Lance tried to hide his disappointment.

Keith vaguely remembered being in Lance's arms and something that might have been a kiss, but it felt more like a dream than something that really happened. “I might… but not like I should,” he said miserably. He was beyond disappointed.

“Aw Keith, did you forget our first kiss?” Lance teased him but looked a little let down.

Keith sighed then thought about Lance’s words.

“Wait, _first kiss_?” Keith looked at the man across the table. “Lance, what exactly do you remember from the night in the park?” He finally asked and was surprised at how easy it had been to say.

Lance furrowed his brow. “It’s hazy, but I remember this one look on your face,” he said with a grin. “When you told me it was ‘like this’.” He dragged his fingers down his face.

Keith couldn't tell if he was being sincere or making fun of him. He crossed his arms. “Hey, Mr. I-Never-Black-Out, do you also remember shoving your tongue down my throat and sucking my neck?”

“What?! Pfff, did not! Come on Keith, I just used the fake-memory trick on you.”

Keith raised one eyebrow. “I had the hickey to prove it.”

Lance’s smirk faded. He sat up straight and leaned over the table with wide eyes. “Oh shit, I really did that?!” He laughed nervously. “I only remember you telling me about your feelings. Shit… Liquid courage is for real!”

“Yeah, and then you put my hand on your crotch and tried to take off my pants!” Keith continued.

“Oh fuck! I thought that was a dream!” He laughed. “Oh my god, next you’re gonna say I sucked your dick or something!”

“Why, did you dream about that too?” Keith said sarcastically.

“ _KEEEEIIIIITH!_ ” Lance shrieked as he slid off his chair and rolled back and forth on the floor to the side of the table, his face in his hands. He looked through his fingers at Keith for an answer. “Oh my god, Keith... Did I?”

Keith’s head twinged at the racket Lance was making, but a little burst of excitement went off in his chest at the thought of Lance dreaming that. “No, you passed out on top of me instead,” he said, mildly amused by Lance’s reactions.

“Oh, thank god!” Lance’s arms fell slack on the ground with a thud.

“Thanks,” Keith said sarcastically, like sucking his dick would be so terrible.

“No, it’s just, I’d want to remember something like that, ya know?” He was still laughing but Keith was pretty certain it was his way of covering up a mountain of embarrassment. 

“Oh my god, I passed out? I’m the worst!” He said to himself working out the last of his laughter and looked up at Keith. “So that’s why you were totally weird after that. And that hickey- That was ME! I WAS THE GUY FROM THE PARTY!!” Lance screamed and grabbed the sides of his head at the realization.

"Ugh, be quiet! My head!" Keith winced but smiled as some of his embarrassment faded. This conversation was nowhere near as bad as he’d feared.

_Things can finally go back to normal._

“Keith.” Lance rolled up onto his knees next to the chair Keith was sitting in and took one of Keith’s hands in both of his. Keith turned his body to face him. “I am the biggest drunk idiot. I owe you, like, a million, and you have my word that I will absolutely not pass out - or forget - next time.” 

Keith blinked at him. “Next... time?” 

“Yeah, next time,” Lance said as if it were obvious. 

“You want there to be a next time?” Keith rubbed his head and struggled to make sense of Lance’s words.

“Keith, I’ve been dropping hints for the last couple months, trying to feel you out,” Lance confessed.

“You have?!” Keith asked dumbfounded.

“But you ran away or got super awkward every time I did, so I figured you weren’t interested. But then, after last night and that dancing... I’m not reading this wrong, am I?” Lance momentarily sounded insecure.

“I thought you were straight! Do you know how fucking confused I’ve been?” Keith yelled, his own voice ringing in his ears.

“You thought I was straight? Dude, how broken is your gaydar?” Lance laughed.

“Don’t call it that. And you’re into me? For real?” Keith asked in disbelief. His head was fuzzy and his thoughts were sluggish. He wasn’t sure he was hearing things right.

“Yes, Keith. I am pretty damn into you,” Lance said, standing on his knees and throwing his arms around him.

Keith didn't know how to react to Lance finally hugging him. It wasn’t something that wasn’t ever supposed to happen. He carefully put his arms on Lance’s back and leaned his chin on his shoulder. He was just beginning to trust the situation when a red flag went off in this head. He felt something stab at his insides. The pain radiated into his forehead.

“Wait, if you’re into me, then why the fuck did you sleep with Nyma?” Keith asked, pulling away from Lance’s embrace. The world of hurt Lance had caused came roaring back to him.

Lance looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He held out his hands in panic like he didn’t have a good answer. “I- I thought I struck out with you that night! I had no idea you were interested...” He stammered. “She was hot and... I’m an idiot?”

Keith glared at him and remembered why having feelings for Lance was a bad idea.

“An adorable idiot… I hope?” Lance smiled feebly.

Keith narrowed his eyes more. “It really fucking hurt…” He growled.

“Keith…” Lance clasped Keith’s hand. “That girl was more interested in a free cab ride home than anything else.”

“So you guys didn't…”

“Uh, well… ” Lance stuttered with a guilty expression. Keith glared at him again and tried to pull his hand out of Lance's grip.

“Keith, she was nobody!” Lance insisted, holding on tight.

“Was she nobody when you were crying over her in my lap?” Keith said with a vicious quietness.

Lance looked shocked as the gravity of what he’d done hit him. “Keith… I didn’t know!” He squeezed Keith’s hand.

“I gave up on you that day,” Keith said, shirking his hand out from under Lance’s, remembering his resolve to move on.

“Keith, no! I’m here! I’m here now! We can finally-” Lance cried desperately. 

“Ugh, stop being so loud!” Keith grimaced and held his aching head.

‘Keith-!”

“Just shut up! I don't want to hear it!” He yelled into Lance's face.

Lance fell silent. “Fuck…” he breathed as he pulled his empty hands out of Keith’s lap and sat back on his knees, utterly stunned. 

They sat in silence, the distance between them palpable. Lance looked so sad, but Keith was in too much pain to be very sympathetic. Lance got up and paced nervously with his hands on his head. Keith let him go and watched him lean against the wall from the corner of his eye. Neither of them said anything for a while.

“Keith, I fucked up...” Lance said quietly, sounding close to tears.

“Ugh, can we talk about this when I’m not hungover?” Keith said irritably. His headache was getting worse, and he couldn’t think straight.

He got up, despite the throbbing in his head, and retrieved his shirt from the bathroom. It was too damp to wear, but he started to pull off the shirt Lance had loaned him anyways.

“Just take the shirt,” Lance said despondently, watching him from across the room. Keith stopped changing.

He felt Lance’s eyes on him as he crossed the room to put on his shoes. When he had them on, Lance was standing next to him and gently took his hand.

“If she cost me my chance with you…” Lance couldn't finish and planted a firm kiss on Keith's lips instead.

Keith let him do it but didn’t respond one way or the other. He looked at Lance blankly with tired and cranky eyes. Without saying a word, he turned to open the door and let his hand slip through Lance’s grip as he walked through it.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end.  
> JUST KIDDING!!! Sorry, but it just didn't make sense for them to get together while Keith is majorly hungover.
> 
> I have a song for this chapter! _Domino_ by The Karma Killers because these boys fell like dominoes.
> 
> There are only a few more chapters, but I never promised a happy ending... *looks at eventual smut tag* Oh wait, yes I did!! I think you know what's coming next. ;)
> 
> ART (not really art)  
> [ How it all starts ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/159995748444/this-is-what-the-early-stages-of) A couple shots from the notebook where I plotted this story out. Looking back, it's kind of crazy that I managed to turn this garbled mess into something halfway decent.  
> I intentionally write badly in case someone looks over my shoulder and sees what i'm writing. >_>  
> 


	11. Team Effort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The whole crew comes through to get these two together. Cross your fingers that it works...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any artists that are currently taking commissions are reading this, I have money to throw at you...
> 
> I write and edit a lot on my phone, which means there are some questionable places I have worked on this fic including:  
> • a dog park  
> • on the bus  
> • standing in line at the grocery store  
> • my crossfit gym before class  
> • my non-crossfit gym, just right there on the bench press and in the squat rack between sets lol  
> • all of the Starbucks in my neighborhood
> 
> So now every time I see someone grinning into their phone, I hope that they too are working on some gay af love story. <3
> 
> Not on this list:  
> • my work’s wifi
> 
> Huh, look at that, I do have boundaries!

 

The door slammed shut in front of Lance. Keith was gone. The happy morning he’d so been looking forward to had ended in disaster.

_I had him…_

He stumbled back to the table and dropped into a chair, stunned. He stared at Keith’s uneaten eggs. 

_I had him and I lost him…_

Lance didn’t want to believe what was happening. He wanted to run after Keith but suspected it would only make things worse. Keith had completely shut down on him. There was no way he’d be willing to talk until he cooled down. Lance felt himself starting to panic. He didn’t know what to do, so he pulled out his phone and began frantically typing.

Lance: HUNK HELP! I FUCKED UP!  
Lance: but I didn't know I was fucking up at the time!  
Lance: AAAAHHHHHHhh sksjhskdnb  
Hunk: okay. calm down.  
Hunk: what happened?  
Lance: Keith is really mad about Nyma  
Hunk: hmm…  
Hunk: from our conversation yesterday, I can tell you that he really likes you  
Lance: he said he gave up on me!  
Lance: and left!  
Hunk: yikes. that does sound bad…  
Lance: I think we’re done...  
Hunk: I'm sorry, buddy  
Hunk: but you didn't know that he likes you, right?  
Lance: didn't have a clue  
Lance: hindsight is a bitch rn  
Hunk: he's probably hurting, but I think he’ll come around once he has time to process that  
Hunk: then you guys can talk it out  
Lance: he didn't want to talk. he’s too hungover  
Hunk: yeah... you’re gonna have to give him time  
Hunk: hang in there buddy

Lance threw his head back and slumped in the chair. He hated waiting more than anything. 

He sighed and began cleaning up the mess he’d made cooking breakfast to distract himself, then cleaned the rest of the kitchen to kill more time. He scowled at the clock when he saw that barely an hour had passed. It was going to be many more before he heard from Keith. He considered immersing himself in a video game but really wasn’t in the mood.

Lance moped into his room and fell on his bed. Keith had been right there in his arms the night before. He could still smell him on the sheets.

_What if he cuts me off completely…_

Lance twisted in frustration on top of the comforter. His phone buzzed and he sat up quickly to check it, frowning when he saw it was a text from Shiro.

Shiro: Is Keith okay? He's not returning my texts.

Lance typed ‘wish I knew’ then thought better of it.

Lance: he was pretty hungover  
Lance: he’s probably at home sleeping it off  
Shiro: He’s not still with you?  
Lance: no  
Shiro: That’s surprising.  
Lance: rub it in  
Shiro: Did you have a fight?  
Lance: ...  
Lance: thanks for reminding me..  
Shiro: I see.  
Shiro: Keith already has a hot temper. A hangover probably only made it worse.  
Shiro: He’ll cool off.  
Lance: I hope so…  
Shiro: Thanks for taking care of him last night.  
Shiro: We can always count on you to come through in a pinch, Lance.

The fact that Shiro had some confidence in him would have made Lance feel better in any other situation, but it didn’t even register. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling.

_If only he remembered that kiss…_

Lance recalled the feel of Keith’s lips and groaned to himself. It had been so perfect. There was no way Keith would still be mad at him if he’d retained full memory of that magic moment.

_I didn’t know… He’s gotta understand that eventually, right?_

Lance thought about how angry Keith had been and wasn’t optimistic. He hadn’t even wanted to listen.

_If it’s over, I’ll never forgive myself..._

He rolled onto his side and drifted miserably into sleep.

 

Lance woke up a few hours later and immediately checked his phone. He sighed at there being no new messages. It felt like a shot in the dark, but he made an attempt to reach out to Keith.

Lance: how are you feeling?  
Lance: hangovers are the worst, right?

There was no response in the minutes that followed, so Lance forced himself to play games on his computer to pass the time. He did terribly which only soured his mood further. He glanced at his phone. Still nothing from Keith.

Lance: if you’re never going to talk to me again, at least give me a heads up so i don’t worry...

Lance needed to hear from somebody and decided to bug Pidge next.

Lance: PIIIIDDDGGEE ;___;  
Lance: oh boy, Lance. those better be happy tears...  
Lance: :(  
Pidge: how in the hell did you manage to mess this up??  
Lance: Nyma  
Pidge: oh…  
Lance: yeah…  
Lance: it’s over orz  
Pidge: hold on  
Pidge: look at this:

Pidge sent him a picture of Keith from The Wormhole. He was leaning on the wooden table they had been standing at with one hand curled around a lemon drop. He was looking out over the crowd with the soft, puppy dog eyes Lance loved so much and a gentle smile on his lips. It was the most loving expression Lance had ever seen on Keith’s face. His heart melted.

Lance: look at him... I can’t believe I fucked this up!!!!!!!11  
Lance: asfghdfghssgdfsldn  
Pidge: calm down!  
Pidge: do you see the look on his face?  
Lance: YES. I WOULD DIE FOR THAT FACE.  
Pidge: do you know what he was looking at in this picture?  
Lance: probably Shiro or some other beefcake…  
Pidge: YOU Lance. he was looking at _YOU_  
Pidge: this is Keith without all his emo protective layers  
Pidge: that boy loves you so much  
Pidge: and if you ever start to doubt it, just look at this as a reminder

Lance’s heart nearly burst.

_He really looks at me like that??_

Pidge: I can see why he’s mad about Nyma, but I don’t think it’s the end  
Lance: Pidge… thank you  
Lance: <3 <3 <3  
Pidge: anytime

Lance felt better than he had all day but wanted to talk to Keith more than ever.

Lance: ugh he hasn’t responded yet...  
Lance: you wanna hang out or something? I’m going crazy  
Hunk: I’d love to buddy, but I’m kinda hanging out with Shay right now...  
Lance: Hunk  
Lance: are you…  
Lance: ON A DATE????  
Hunk: ;)  
Lance: YEEEEESSSSSSS \o/ \o/  
Hunk: I asked her out while we were at the gay bar  
Lance: I’ll leave you alone now I swear!  
Lance: tell me all about it later!!!

Hunk’s news lifted Lance’s spirits. He quickly tabbed back to his chat with Keith.

Lance: Hunk finally asked out Shay!! They’re on a date right now!!!!

Lance was excited to share the news with Keith. But just before he pressed send, his enthusiasm faded, and he realized that he probably shouldn’t. He needed to give Keith space and slowly deleted every letter.

_He’s the first person I want to tell anything to…_

Lance wondered with unease if that was going to have to change.

Lance: fwiw I’m so sorry  
Lance: for the both of us

_Yikes, that sounds desperate... Isn't that what he told you not to do?_

Lance sat on the edge of his bed and stared into space, the events of the last few weeks playing over in his mind for the hundredth time that day. His phone buzzed again. Lance glanced absentmindedly at it, and his heart leapt when he saw the notification.

Keith: Relax Lance, I’m not ignoring you  
Keith: I was sleeping  
Lance: oh..  
Keith: and of course I'm going to talk to you again...  
Lance: really?????  
Keith: I just felt like shit this morning  
Lance: do you feel better now?  
Keith: a little  
Keith: I could barely think earlier. Not good for a serious talk  
Lance: so you're not mad??  
Keith: ...  
Keith: I'm pretty mad tbh  
Lance: ah..  
Lance: can we talk? bc I’m kinda dying over here  
Keith: yeah, we should do that...  
Lance: okay!!  
Lance: Keith  
Lance: you have to know  
Lance: I am so sorry  
Keith: STOP  
Lance: I care about you so much  
Keith: NOT OVER TEXT  
Lance: oh..  
Lance: You wanna come back over here?  
Keith: yeah, but later  
Keith: I need to eat, shower..  
Keith: I’ll come over there when I’m ready  
Lance: today though, right? Like when you're done eating etc. Not like when you're ready to talk which could take days or something...  
Keith: -__-  
Lance: okay… later…

 

\-----------

 

Keith put his phone down. His head hurt less, but he was still uneasy about Lance. It seemed like the smartest thing to do was to get over him as he had planned, but he wasn’t sure how he was going to bring himself to explain that to Lance. He glanced again at ‘I care about you so much’ and felt torn.

He decided to think about it later and checked his other messages.

Shiro: Let me know you’re okay when you get this in the morning.  
Keith: sorry, slow response.. I was asleep  
Shiro: Are you doing okay? Seems like you had a rough night.  
Keith: bad hangover but I’m okay  
Shiro: Glad to hear it.  
Keith: ugh I missed our training session too.. I’m sorry..  
Shiro: Don’t worry about it.  
Shiro: Keith, I know it’s not really my place,  
Shiro: but it’s not good for your training to drink like that.  
Keith: I know… I lost control last night  
Keith: it was Lance’s fault  
Shiro: Was it?  
Keith: it was mostly my fault -__-  
Shiro: It’s unlike you, so once is fine. But please try to be more responsible next time.  
Keith: right..  
Shiro: How did it go with Lance?  
Keith: ugh..  
Keith: I really want it to work out..  
Keith: but I’m so mad at him right now  
Keith: I think it’s best if maybe we just don’t...  
Shiro: This may be none of my business, but did Lance know about your feelings?  
Keith: not until last night apparently  
Shiro: I see.  
Shiro: If that’s the case, then Lance didn’t do anything wrong.  
Keith: ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW???  
Shiro: You can be mad at the situation, but you should consider whether it’s fair to be angry with him if he really didn’t know.  
Keith: IT HURT SO MUCH!!  
Shiro: I know, I saw how upset you were.  
Keith: and not just that one time! It’s happened over and over and over!!  
Shiro: At least now you know he has feelings for you too.  
Keith: TOO FUCKING LATE!!  
Shiro: Keith. Don’t let your temper get the better of you here. You may regret it later.  
Keith: I KNOW THAT!!  
Keith: BUT I CAN'T JUST CONTROL WHO I'M MAD AT!!!  
Shiro: Take some time and clear your mind before making any decisions.  
Shiro: Make sure you aren’t just acting on impulse.

Keith rolled his eyes.

Shiro: Be patient, Keith. It yields focus.  
Keith: okay Shiro.. thanks for the hot take

Keith typed the snarky response but tossed his phone aside without sending it. He couldn’t believe Shiro was on Lance’s side. 

Despite his offense, he thought about Shiro’s words while he showered and fed himself. A little bit of self-care went a long way and left him feeling worlds better. With a clearer head, Keith could see how Lance hadn’t meant to hurt him, but that didn’t mean that the pain wasn’t still there. He wasn’t sure what he should do.

_I really like him…_

Keith read Lance's text ‘I care about you so much’ again.

_It’s a bad idea… but if he really didn't know..._

Keith thought about how sweet Lance could be and wished he could find a way past his anger, but his hurt feelings kept bubbling back up.

_Ugh... I don't know if I can do this..._

_I’ll give it a few hours. Then, either way, I’m gonna talk to him._

 

\------------

 

Lance fiddled on his computer to pass the time, trying to ignore the ominous feeling in his gut. His foot bounced anxiously up and down under his desk. He heard the front door open and shot out of his chair. 

“Keith?!” He yelled as he ran into the living room but found Hunk and Shay instead. 

“Oh…” He said disappointed.

“Sorry, Lance. It's just us,” Shay said sympathetically.

“Have you still not heard from him?” Hunk asked with concern.

“I have. We’re gonna talk soon. I think it’ll be good,” Lance tried to be optimistic even though his stomach twisted. He chatted with them for a few minutes before skulking back to his room.

Lance: Oh shit! I know I invited you over here, but Hunk just showed up...  
Lance: WITH SHAY!!!  
Lance: He finally asked her out!!!!  
Lance: They’re cooking dinner together

Lance couldn’t stop himself from sharing.

Keith: wow, finally!  
Keith: I’m happy for them!  
Lance: I need to make myself scarce...  
Lance: and we still need to talk...  
Keith: we do  
Lance: yeah…  
Lance: hmm  
Lance: so… um…  
Keith: Lance...  
Keith: do you wanna come over here?  
Lance: YES  
Lance: I mean, if that’s cool with you...  
Keith: come over, Lance :)

_Holy fuck Holy fuck It’s happening!_

Lance’s heart soared. He hastily threw a change of clothes, his face moisturizer, and some other supplies into a backpack.

_Calm down. You don’t know that you’re staying the night._

He eyed a string of condoms on his nightstand. He didn’t want to jinx himself by being over-prepared but snatched them up anyway.

_Better safe than sorry._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter... It's an important one...
> 
> ART!  
> [ Looking at You](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/164077177909/zuzarti-a-quick-fanart-for-badsukis-klance-fic) Fanart from @zuzarti on Tumblr! I'm utterly blown away by this!!


	12. Six Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> > **The klance**
>> 
>> Ingredients:  
> Vodka  
> Blue Curacao  
> Grenadine
>> 
>> Fill 2/3 of a tall shot glass with vodka  
> Slowly blue curacao until top turns blue, Let settle  
> Repeat with grenadine on the bottom  
> 
> 
>   
> Here's a few I made: [ Klance Shots ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/158969109509/the-klance-ingredients-vodka-blue-curacao)  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **For the love of Quiznack, please leave feedback on this chapter. >_> **  
> Explicit content warning.

  


Keith’s heart skipped a beat when he heard a knock. He still didn't know what he was going to tell Lance.

“Hey...” Lance said carefully, after Keith opened the door.

“Hey... Sorry about this morning. I felt like shit...” Keith said apologetically as Lance walked inside.

"You doing better now? I brought you a powerade,” Lance said cautiously, offering him a blue one this time. “You drank the red one last night.”

Keith smiled and thanked him. Mad as he was, Lance was a real sweetheart, and deep down Keith knew it.

They sat on opposite sides of the couch and stared at each other in silence. Keith chewed one of his fingernails, his decision hinging on the impending conversation.

“So…” Lance started.

“So…” Keith took a breath and responded. They both fell quiet again.

“Keith… I'm so sor-”

“Don't.” Keith cut him off. “You're not the one who should be apologizing. I was a real jerk to you earlier.”

“It's okay, you probably had a hangover for the ages," Lance said sympathetically.

"It was pretty bad," Keith agreed and smiled weakly.

“Did you really give up on me?” Lance asked fearfully.

“I did,” Keith began. Lance looked at him hurt. "Well, I tried to... It’s been a confusing couple weeks. That thing in the park really threw me for a loop,” he continued.

“You coulda just told me, ya know,” Lance said. “Woulda saved a lot of trouble.”

“You were straight! Or at least I thought you were...” Keith tried to explain. “And you’re one of my best friends,” he swallowed. “I was scared of losing you.”

Lance nodded. He’d avoided making moves for the sake of their friendship many times too. “You still coulda dropped a hint or something.”

“Oh my god, _I swear I did!_ I gave you so many chances, but you kept sending all these mixed signals...” Keith went on.

“Those were _signals_ , Keith. Nothing mixed about 'em,” Lance muttered.

“And I was sure there was something there, like multiple times-"

"Because there _was_ something there!" Lance interjected. 

"But you always went after someone else! What was I supposed to think?! And that time with Nyma,” Keith took a breath to keep his emotions in check. “It _broke_ me.”

Lance furrowed his brow and shifted uncomfortably. “Did you bring me all the way over here just to dump me again?”

“Dump you? I’m just trying to explain why I’ve been such a wreck!” Keith paused, remembering Shiro’s advice. “The Nyma thing... it hurt, but... you had every right to…”

Lance’s expression softened.

“You really didn’t know?” Keith asked.

“Believe me, if I had, I’d have taken you home that night,” Lance said sincerely, catching Keith by the heart with his words again.

“Ugh, I like you so much! But…” Keith looked at Lance terrified.

“But what, Keith? What is the problem?” Lance tried not to plead.

“I can’t… ” Keith said quietly and looked at Lance sadly. It wasn't safe. Lance wasn’t safe. Keith's mind was made up. 

_After all that, I'm gonna break his heart..._

Keith felt like the worst person alive. Lance stared at him skeptically.

“Nah, Keith. You totally can,” he smiled confidently. “I think I get it now. You’re not mad, you’re just scared to get hurt.” He reached for Keith’s hand. “And I’ve hurt you. But Keith, that was before I knew this had a shot,” he said with a squeeze.

Keith looked at Lance in shock. He’d hit the nail on the head, but it wasn’t that simple. Keith couldn’t just let his guard down like that.

“You jump so fast from one person to the next… You’re gonna forget about me in a week. You _already_ forgot once!” Keith exclaimed, pulling his hand away, determined to protect himself.

“Okay, forgetting due to alcohol doesn’t count,” Lance argued. “And you’ve been on my radar for like six years. Consistency isn’t an issue.” 

“ _Six years!?_ That’s impossible! That’s longer than I’ve known you!”

“Well then I guess I noticed you first,” Lance said flatly. Keith sat up straighter. It wasn't a possibility he’d considered.

_This whole time..._

It suddenly occurred to Keith that maybe he wasn't the only one who'd been hurt.

“And in my experience, if something scares the shit out of you, then it’s probably something worth going for!” Lance contended.

Keith fell quiet. “Do I scare you?” He asked after a pause.

“Are you kidding?” Lance smile gently. “You make me feel like I can never be good enough. You always have.”

Keith wanted to squeeze him so tight. “Why didn't you make a move sooner?”

“I totally did!” Lance cried defensively. “But, it was years ago. I guess you really never noticed, huh?” He said with a disappointed smile. 

“I guess I didn’t…” Keith said apologetically.

“After a while, I got used to the thinking that this would never happen,” Lance said, gesturing between them. “Honestly, I thought you had a thing for Shiro.”

“What? He's just my coach…” Keith said like the idea was ridiculous. 

“Yeah, but you guys are pretty close. And, come on, he’s fucking hot. Are you telling me you wouldn’t?” Lance pressed him.

“He’s dating Allura!” Keith shouted.

“Yeah! He already took the person I liked once!” Lance’s ingrained sentiments for Allura reeled. “Better her than you, I guess,” he muttered. “Now quit dodging the question.”

Keith scrunched his face up in his hand. “Like you said, Shiro is pretty damn hot, and I’m not saying I wouldn’t, but Lance... I’m kind of into you right now.” Keith's resolve gave way. He peered at Lance through his fingers with his heart in his throat.

Lance swelled with joy before his confidence caught up to him. “Say again, Keith? I didn’t quite catch that,” he grinned, holding a hand to his ear.

“I’m _not_ repeating it,” Keith rolled his eyes.

Lance crept closer to Keith’s end of the couch, but stopped when Keith tensed like he might get up and run.

“I’m right here, Keith. What are you so scared of?”

“I...” Keith racked his brain. All he could think of was the length of time Lance had mentioned. “Really, six years? That’s so long...” 

“It’s an _eternity!_ So will you get over here already so I can kiss your dumb face and make sure neither of us forgets it this time?” Lance pouted.

Keith looked at Lance with nearly the same loving expression he’d had in Pidge's photo and cautiously inched closer. Lance bounded across the couch. 

“Wait!” Keith put up a hand and stopped him less than a foot away from his face. “First you gotta admit to me that you do, in fact, black out.” 

“Ah, dammit.” Lance rolled his eyes and lifted his hands in half-hearted surrender. 

“Okay, you got me. I blacked out _one time_ for like five minutes...” Lance reluctantly admitted.

Keith made an unimpressed face and stood up, pretending to walk away.

“No, no, no! Come back!” Lance grabbed him by the arm.

“Kind of an important five minutes...” Keith shot him a dirty look.

“Okay, okay, you win! I blacked out. I, Lance McClain, am not impervious to alcohol,” Lance held a hand to his chest and conceded.

“Thank you,” Keith gloated and sat back down, but his victory was short-lived. He gazed at Lance and swallowed nervously.

“I won the dance-off though,” Lance grinned sideways, moving closer.

“You didn’t and you know it,” Keith said with sass.

“I got you, didn’t I? Sure sounds like I won,” Lance said quietly as he leaned in.

Keith stared at Lance’s approaching lips and was suddenly very aware of his own breath. Lance gently pressed his lips against Keith’s for a long, slow, lip-only kiss. It felt so familiar even though Keith could barely remember it happening the last time. 

“Oh my god,” Keith’s voice shook when they broke, realizing what was finally happening. He looked at Lance with his nerves running wild and no alcohol in his system to keep them at bay.

“Are you shaking?” Lance asked with gentle surprise.

“No! Shut up!” Keith snapped, steadying himself, and pulled Lance into another careful kiss. Lance’s tongue found its way into Keith’s mouth. A memory from the dance floor flashed in Keith’s mind, and a surge of emotions he’d felt that night poured through him, overtaking his nerves. He gripped the back of Lance’s shirt and kissed him back.

Lance shifted more of his weight on top of Keith, who slid down on the couch underneath him. Keith pulled Lance down on top of him, and they kissed for the first time, both fully aware, with their bodies flush against each other.

“You kiss differently when you’re not drunk,” Lance remarked when their lips parted for a moment.

 _So do you_ Keith wanted to say but didn’t have time to get the words out. He couldn’t get enough of Lance’s mouth. He pulled him closer and kissed him like it was the only chance he was ever going get. Lance shifted on top of him and Keith felt something pressing into his leg.

“Whoa...” Keith breathed and ran his fingers up the outside of Lance’s thigh.

“You feel that?” Lance asked, kissing the side of his face and down his neck.

“Yeah…” Keith sighed.

“I feel you too,” Lance whispered, kissing his mouth again and rocking their hips together. Keith moaned into the kiss, and wrapped one leg around him.

Lance pulled Keith’s shirt up and traced down his torso with his thumb. He shifted down Keith’s body to kiss his stomach, pushing Keith’s shirt up further. Keith’s abs tightened when he felt Lance’s lips and tongue on his his skin. He breathed in abruptly, a jolt shooting through his entire body when Lance palmed his dick through his pants. It was so much better than the haphazard groping in the park.

“Lance…” he breathed and brushed his fingers through his soft, brown hair. 

“I’m not gonna leave you hanging this time,” Lance looked up at him with a smirk then traced his tongue all the way across Keith’s stomach just above the top of his pants. Keith watched him do it and had never been more turned on in his life. His stomach contracted, rising and falling under Lance’s tongue.

Lance undid the button on Keith’s pants and pulled down the zipper. He sat up and tugged Keith’s pants down to his knees, then grabbed the bottom of Keith’s shirt.

“Sit up, I want to see your body.” 

Keith kicked his pants the rest of the way off, then let Lance pull his shirt off over his head.

Lance blew a breath between his lips as he dragged his fingers down Keith’s chest, over his abs, and followed a trail of fuzz from his navel to the top of his boxer-briefs. He traced the outline of Keith’s cock through his underwear with his fingertips.

Keith groaned at the touch.

Lance tucked his fingers under the elastic waistband, then paused for several moments, looking unsure.

“What’s wrong?” Keith asked with nervous concern.

“That thing you said at game night, about maybe taking it slower with the next one...” Lance looked at him and pulled his fingers out of Keith’s underwear. “Maybe we should wait...”

Keith couldn’t believe he was about to be cockblocked by his own words.

“Six _years_ , Lance! I don’t think we can make it much slower!” Keith shouted impatiently.

Lance grinned at him relieved. “Good,” he said close to Keith’s face, “because I am so ready for this,” he added in a low voice and kissed him with force. He moved down Keith’s body again. Keith scooted up and leaned against one arm of the couch so Lance had more room. Lance pulled Keith’s underwear down around his cock. Keith inhaled sharply when Lance wrapped his hand around it. He breathed shallowly as Lance stroked him a few times before lowering his head. 

Keith watched Lance’s head go down and gasped as he finally felt Lance’s lips close around him. His low abs sucked in, his chest convulsed up, and a strangled noise came out of his mouth.

Lance moved his mouth along Keith’s cock a few times, then wrapped his fist around it too. He slid his mouth and hand in unison up and down Keith’s length, twisting his grip with each motion.

“Fuck… you’ve done this before,” Keith moaned between breaths.

Lance slowly pulled off him entirely.

“Maybe once or twice,” he smirked, catching Keith's eye, then ran his tongue slowly up the entire length of his shaft and swirled his tongue around the head. 

“Liar…” Keith breathed out. 

Lance took him back in his mouth and made Keith’s eyes roll back in his head as he took him in deeper and deeper, until his lips were brushing against Keith’s low stomach.

“Holy _fuck…_ Lance,” Keith cried, digging his heels into the couch and resting one hand on Lance’s bobbing head. He moaned in time to Lance’s movements. Keith felt his body begin to tense. Lance was too good. His hips pulsed upwards, pushing his cock further down Lance’s throat.

“Lance… fuck. I’m gonna… I’m gonna come,” Keith mumbled frantically, giving him the chance to pull off, but Lance didn’t relent.

Keith curled forward, holding onto Lance’s head and cried out as he came into the back of Lance’s throat. Keith breathed through his moment of euphoria then fell back against the arm of the couch, gasping for breath. He twitched as Lance pulled off him.

Lance smirked and looked pleased with himself. Keith stared at him, thoroughly impressed.

“That was... amazing...” Keith panted. He swallowed and blinked a few times, slowly coming back to his senses. “You’re definitely not straight if you can suck a dick like that,” Keith laughed weakly, tucking himself back in his underwear. 

“No, I am not,” Lance said definitively and kissed him on the cheek. He lay against Keith’s body and hugged him happily.

“Give me like, two minutes,” Keith said catching his breath and stroking Lance’s hair. “Then I’m gonna ride you.” 

Lance sat up fast and leaned on his hands against the couch on either side of Keith's head. He looked at the man under him with eyes wide open. “Did you just say-?”

Keith smirked. “You heard me,” he said, causing Lance to turn dark red.

Lance opened his mouth but words failed him. He dropped his head against Keith's chest instead.

Keith chuckled to himself. “Come on, Lance.” He stood up, took Lance by the hand, and lead him into his bedroom.

Keith opened a drawer and quickly pulled out condoms and lubricant, and set them on a table next to his bed. He looked over at Lance who hung back hesitantly.

“Uh oh, too fast?” Keith asked unsure.

“No,” Lance said emphatically. “It's just... I wasn't ready for this... I might not last very long.” It was Lance's turn to be nervous.

“Whatever, it's the first time,” Keith smiled at him reassuringly.

“What did I do to deserve you?” Lance marveled, pulling him into a hug. Keith smiled and kissed him. Lance grabbed a handful of Keith's ass.

“I’ve wanted to grab this ass for so long. You don’t even know!” Lance cried.

Keith laughed. “Wait, how are you still fully clothed?” He asked, standing in his underwear.

“We can fix that,” Lance said then pushed Keith onto the bed and kissed him with urgency. Keith pulled Lance’s shirt over his head. They kissed again, laying skin against skin. Lance grinded against Keith’s leg. Keith reached down and slipped his hand into Lance’s jeans and gripped his cock. Despite the awkward angle, Lance shuddered on top of him and moaned in his ear. 

Keith tore open the button and fly on Lance’s jeans. Lance rolled off him onto his back to take his tight pants and shorts off. Keith watched them peel down Lance’s long legs as he slipped out of his own underwear. Before Lance was fully out of his clothes, Keith straddled his legs and ran his his fingers over Lance’s cock, biting his lip.

“Little Lance isn’t so little, huh?” Keith said. Lance smirked, raising one eyebrow, then pulled him down into a kiss. Keith stroked Lance’s cock, making him break from the kiss.

“Finally...” Lance said softly, remembering the half-second of this feeling he’d gotten to experience the night before.

Keith grabbed a condom from the nightstand and tore it open. He straddled Lance’s legs and carefully slid it on. Lance looked at him like he couldn’t believe this was happening.

Lance poured some lube onto his fingers. “Let me get you ready,” he said. Keith positioned himself over Lance’s hips. Lance put his hand between Keith’s legs and slipped a finger inside him. Keith sighed and stroked his semi-hard cock. Lance slid in a second finger a few moments later. Keith moaned and moved his hand faster, nearly completely hard again.

“What the hell? You have, like, no refractory period!” Lance said in amazement.

“Nope,” Keith smirked. 

Lance held three fingers together and pushed them into Keith. He let his eyes wander freely over Keith’s body, taking in the definition of his muscles and the shape of his cock.

“Keith… your body,” Lance struggled to speak in full sentences. Keith, still straddling him, moved up and down Lance's long fingers. Lance nearly came at the sight of it.

“Mmm, I think I’m good to go,” Keith spoke with his eyelids only half open. “You ready?” He smirked at the man beneath him. 

Lance, breathing faster than normal in anticipation, gripped the outsides of Keith’s thighs and nodded. "So ready."

Keith put a few drops of lube on Lance’s cock and positioned himself. He slowly sank down, shallowly at first, then pulled part way back up. Keith sank deeper the next time, eliciting a moan from Lance, and continued inching further down until his ass was flush with Lance’s hips. Lance’s face contorted with every movement. Keith felt flushed at the sensation of Lance inside him. He moved his hips up and down slowly, sighing to himself at the feel of it.

“That okay?” He asked before moving any faster.

“You feel so good,” Lance said in a strained whisper. He slid his hands up Keith’s thighs and took his cock in one hand. 

Keith moaned, closing his eyes for a moment, then began to move more fluidly up and down Lance’s length. He found a rhythm and picked up the pace, losing himself in the feeling of finally fucking Lance. The mattress squeaked beneath them, mixing with the sounds of their breath.

“Ah- Keith. Ah- I might come pretty quick like this,” Lance warned him, gripping Keith’s legs above the knee.

“You’re fine. I'm gonna watch you,” Keith breathed and took over stroking his own cock as he rode Lance.

“Oh fuuuuuuuck...” Lance groaned as his head rolled back against the pillow. He grabbed Keith’s thighs and thrust into him in time with Keith’s movements. Keith stroked himself harder, breathing faster as he watched Lance slowly losing control.

“Ah… oh no… Ah fuck... you’re gonna make me-” Lance stammered as he fell out of rhythm with Keith. His breath stuttered and his fingers dug into Keith’s thighs. “FUCK! KEITH!”

Keith watched Lance’s face distort into one of near agony as he came with several deep thrusts. It nearly sent him over the edge. Lance never took his eyes off Keith as he came.

Keith felt Lance’s body relax beneath him. He leaned forward and rested a hand on Lance's shoulder for support and kept stroking himself. Lance twitched inside him a few more times as Keith felt himself getting close. 

“Look at me,” Lance breathed, grabbing a handful of Keith's hair and pulling his head up so he could see his face as Keith's breath grew ragged. Keith's purple eyes locked with Lance's. His face twisted and he came again, spilling onto Lance’s stomach. 

They panted together. Lance leaned up to kiss him before falling slack against the bed. His hand wandered blindly over the mattress until it found Keith’s.

“You okay?” Keith asked.

Lance kissed Keith’s hand and held it against his face. “Nope. You killed me,” he panted, eyes lazily half-open. They smiled at each other.

Lance winced as Keith climbed off of him. Keith walked to his desk and handed Lance some tissues to clean up with then slipped back into his underwear. When he was done, Lance looked up at Keith, who was standing beside the bed watching him.

“What?” He asked with a mischievous sideways grin.

“You're in my bed…” Keith said giddy, his face still flush. “I can’t believe that just happened.” 

“We almost missed each other, you know,” Lance said.

“Yeah, if you weren’t such a stupid drunk!” Keith crossed his arms and smiled.

“Hey now, _you_ were the stupid drunk last night,” Lance said with a sly smile.

“I really was…” Keith admitted and laughed. Suddenly his eyes grew wide. “Oh no!” He rushed over to his desk and frantically thumbed through his wallet. He let out an exasperated noise and dropped the wallet back on his desk. 

“I left my credit card at The Wormhole…” He lamented and collapsed in defeat onto the bed next to Lance.

Lance laughed heartily. “Keith ‘the hot mess’ Kogane, what will we do with you?”

Keith groaned into a pillow. Lance looped an arm underneath him and pulled him close.

“After all the lectures you gave me about my drinking, this feels like redemption,” he teased smugly.

"Ugh..." Keith groaned, realizing Lance would probably never let him live this down.

“For what it’s worth, I'm glad you got fucked up,” Lance laughed. “But next time Keith, please drink responsibly.” Lance mockingly scolded him.

“That sounds like something Shiro would say…” Keith grumbled.

“Hey, it gives us an excuse to go back,” Lance comforted him. “I want to kiss you on that dance floor again.”

Keith smiled and shifted his body closer to Lance. He was okay with being the drunk fool just this once. It had finally brought them together. Lance turned to look at him.

“You know, Keith, it's been six years, but I don’t think I like you anymore,” Lance said.

“What?” Keith asked confused and slightly worried that Lance had been messing with him after all.

“I think I lo-” 

Keith quickly pushed his hand over Lance’s mouth. “Now _that_ is moving too fast!” He warned then slowly dropped his hand. “And could you be more cheesy?”

Lance looked at him with love in his eyes. “Okay, well then for now, I guess I’ll just say it’s like this,” he said and gently stroked Keith’s cheek.

Keith’s eyebrows rose and a touch of red colored his cheeks. “Yeah, it’s like this for me too,” he smiled and shyly returned the gesture.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE. THEY'RE FINALLY TOGETHER.  
> You can begin applying the burn cream if you're not already a charcoal crisp.  
>   
> As for the smut... I tried to write pretty realistic sex... uh.. Hopefully it was still satisfying and not way too much...?  
> I should probably bump the rating up to explicit because... yeah... ^/////^ *fans self*  
>   
> There's one more chapter now that these stupid boys sorted out their issues. It's got the whole crew in it. Even Allura. And more smut too... if you're cool with that... idk.
> 
> Art!  
> [Sure Sounds Like I Won](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/162110137679/inkymint-a-commission-for-chapter-12-of-please) From inkymint on Tumblr/Twitter. She's a klance staple, please check out her work!  
> 


	13. I'll Think About It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Take a shot every time they kiss! ^_~
> 
> NO PLEASE DON'T... YOU WILL LITERALLY DIE.
> 
> Find/yell at me here:  
> Tumblr: @enjayas (formerly badsuki)  
> Twitter: @enjayas_writes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a couple really terrible paragraphs in this chapter that I intend to re-write at some point. ^ ^;;;;;
> 
> A good Tumblr [ask](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/166801295334/a-for-please-drink-responsibly-im-insanely) about where the title came from!

Keith rounded the corner near the restaurant where the whole gang was meeting up for dinner.

Keith: gonna be there soon  
Lance: wait for me before you go in  
Keith: why?  
Lance: just wait!  
Keith: but I’m already here...  
Lance: there’s something I wanna do first!  
Keith: it’s starting to rain  
Keith: I'll be inside  
Lance: WAIT FOR ME  
Lance: I’M RUNNING

Keith huddled under the overhang out front and waited. Lance ran up a few minutes later out of breath. He panted with his hand on his knees.

“Well? What did you make me wait in the rain for?” Keith asked mildly irritated.

“This.” Lance smiled and took Keith’s hand. “Now we can go in.”

Keith’s annoyance evaporated as Lance led him into the restaurant where their friends waited. Keith hung back behind Lance as they approached the table. Holding Lance’s hand in front of everyone was way out of his comfort zone, but he didn’t let go.

“Well, if it isn’t the happy couple,” Pidge smirked at them.

Lance pulled Keith forward and wrapped one arm around him, beaming from ear to ear. Keith shyly looked up at his friends as they greeted him. He noticed Hunk had his arm around someone at the table too.

“Hunk! You also have some news, if I’m not mistaken,” Lance said, trying not to upstage him. Hunk grinned and hugged Shay with one arm. Lance let go of Keith to high five Hunk and Shay.

Shiro stood up. “I’m glad things worked out, Keith,” he said, resting a supportive hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“Thanks,” Keith muttered shyly.

“Oh Keith, I’m so happy for you,” Allura got up too and hugged Keith. It meant a lot to him. She’d had a hard time understanding it when Keith had first come out. Keith also noticed that she didn't seem the least bit surprised.

“Wait, you knew too? _How?_ ” Keith asked, realizing he’d never told Allura about any of this.

“Let’s just say a little mouse told me,” Allura smiled at him. Keith glanced between Shiro and Pidge, wondering which one was the rat.

“Okay Allura, that's enough. Get your own boyfriend!” Lance shooed her away as their hug lingered. Keith stepped back surprised. He hadn't expected Lance to be the jealous one.

“Wait, _boyfriend?_ ” Keith asked. They hadn’t talked about that yet. The table grew quiet.

“Oh, uh… I- I guess I assumed...” Lance stammered.

“Relax, Lance, I’m messing with you,” Keith laughed. Everyone at the table relaxed too.

“So, are you my boyfriend then?” Lance asked excitedly as they sat down.

Keith shrugged. “I’ll think about it,” he teased with indifference.

“Keeeiiiiiith!” Lance whined, resting his forehead against Keith's shoulder.

“Ugh, you guys are so gross,” Pidge rolled her eyes.

 

The group ordered drinks. Lance got a fruity cocktail while Keith opted for plain water. They raised their glasses in a cheers.

“Keith, checkpoint,” Lance said out of habit.

Keith paused. “Why? We already established that you black out. I won that bet, remember?”

“But-”

“No, I’m not doing checkpoints anymore,” Keith shut him down.

Lance pouted for a moment, then leaned over and stole a kiss from Keith’s cheek. “That’s the first one,” he grinned. “I’m gonna kiss a different part of you for each checkpoint.”

Allura politely covered her mouth and giggled while Hunk and Shay made ooOOoo noises. Keith felt himself turning red at Lance’s shamelessness in front of their friends. Shiro cleared his throat to shut them all up.

“Pay up, Hunk!” Pidge demanded. 

“Yeah, that counts I guess…” Hunk sighed and pulled out his wallet to pass Pidge a twenty dollar bill.

Lance eyed their transaction. “What was that about?”

“I bet Hunk that your drinking game would devolve into some sort of sex game within the month,” she informed him.

Lance tried to retort but was uncharacteristically speechless. Keith put his face in his hands, too humiliated for words. Lance squeezed his knee under the table and smiled at him. Despite his embarrassment, Keith couldn’t help smiling back.

“Who wants to see pictures of drunk Keith?” Pidge asked the table.

“Pidge, you didn’t!” Keith cried in disbelief.

“Oh I most definitely did!” She said triumphantly.

The group gathered around Pidge as she scrolled through pictures from The Wormhole.

“Aw, these are really cute!” Shay said.

The first few pictures were actually rather tame: Lance leaning on Keith’s shoulder while they looked over the dancing crowd, Lance and Keith smiling at each other, each of them casting wistful, unnoticed glances at the other.

“Aw, look how in love they are,” Allura said as Pidge flipped from picture to picture.

“Just wait, he’s not drunk yet,” Pidge snickered.

The next few were from the dance floor. The boys were flailing and laughing together mid dance-off.

“Ahhhhh! You have to send me all of these!” Lance shouted, hugging Keith.

“I don’t know what you were worried about, Keith. These are lovely,” Allura said.

Pidge moved to the next photo and Allura gasped. 

“Oh my, Keith!” She put her hand to her mouth upon seeing Keith bent over against Lance.

“That’s what I was worried about...” Keith grimaced

“Tell us when you don't remember anymore,” Pidge said to Keith.

“Oh, I definitely remember that,” Keith cringed.

“Huh, that's a good system, Pidge. Maybe I could use your photos as checkpoints,” Lance said. 

Keith poked him in the ribs.

“Ow! I’m kidding! You're still my checkpoint man,” Lance assured him with a kiss to the side of his head.

“Like hell I’d get roped into that anyway!” Pidge declined the invitation.

The next photo was a close up on Shiro's ass. 

“Daddy?” Allura asked confused. “What does that mean?”

Shiro choked on a bite of food and started coughing. 

“Nothing…” Pidge quickly thumbed past it. “But check out this video!” She said enticingly.

Keith saw himself crawling like a drunk stripper on the go-go platform.

“I DON'T REMEMBER THAT!!” He gasped. He watched Shiro pick him up and carry him to the floor.

“Look, he slaps Shiro’s ass!” Pidge cried while the table laughed.

“Oh god… Shiro, I’m so sorry,” Keith groaned, completely mortified.

Shiro just chuckled and looked amused.

“Lance, you didn’t tell me about that!” Keith glared at Lance.

“Shh… Falling trees in the forest, Keith!” Lance waved it off.

“It’s okay, Keith. We’ve all done embarrassing things while drunk. We still love you,” Hunk laughed and slapped his back.

“Drunk Keith is the best!” Pidge grinned at him.

“Too bad because I’m never drinking again!” Keith proclaimed.

“We’ll see about that!” Lance muttered. “'scuse me Keith, I need to see you at the bar.” He grabbed Keith by the arm and dragged him off.

 

Lance ordered two shots in addition to the cocktail he was already holding. He took a sip then sized Keith up.

“Hmm, now where should I...”

“What are you doing?” Keith looked at him with a suspicious but intrigued smile. 

“I’m figuring out where my next checkpoint is hiding.” Lance grabbed one of his hands and kissed it. He took another sip then kissed the inside of Keith’s wrist.

“You know you don't have to drink just to kiss me, right?” 

“It wouldn’t be a game if I broke the rules,” Lance said, kissing up his arm.

“That's a lot of checkpoints...”

“Only the ones after a shot count. The rest are just for fun,” Lance winked.

“Now you're just making up rules, but... what happens after a shot?” Keith’s eyes widened.

“This.” Lance drank the shot and kissed Keith on the mouth. Keith could taste the bitter alcohol in his kiss.

Lance slid the second shot towards Keith. “Your turn,” he dared.

Keith looked surprised but wasn’t about to back down from a challenge. 

“All right,” he said, promptly forgetting his declaration to never drink again. He tossed the shot into his mouth and went straight for Lance's neck.

“Oh my god! We need more shots!” Lance yelled and quickly ordered two more.

“You are such a bad influence,” Keith scolded but didn’t stop him.

 

Several shots later, they returned to the table with their friends, giggling to each other as they sat back down.

“Oh look, it’s drunk and drunker,” Pidge said sarcastically as Lance pulled Keith into his lap.

“Keith, I thought we talked about drinking more responsibly,” Shiro said disapprovingly.

“See? I told you that was something he’d say,” Keith giggled to Lance. “Don’t worry, Shiro,” he protested from Lance’s lap. “I’ll totally make it to training tomor- AH!” 

Lance grabbed Keith’s ass under the table making him yelp mid-sentence.

“Oh god, this is our life now…” Pidge lamented.

 

Keith went to the bathroom. Lance waited in the dim hallway outside and pounced on him when he came out, kissing him in the shadows.

“Don’t you have to drink first?” Keith teased.

“Since when do I follow the rules?” Lance joked then grew more serious. “Hey Keith, how long have you liked me?”

“Huh?”

“I told you it’s been six years for me, and then like extra for the last few months.”

“A while…” Keith said, intentionally ambiguous.

Lance made a face, dissatisfied with the answer.

“It’s hard to say… To be honest, you used to annoy the shit out of me. You were always so loud and desperate for attention.”

Lance laughed. “Desperate? _Me?_ ”

“I was always thinking about how much you bugged me. You were on my mind so often, and I guess one day I realized what that meant,” Keith explained.

“Aw, widdle Keith had a crush,” Lance teased. “Did you write my name with hearts in your notebook?”

“Actually, I was _pissed!_ ” Keith exclaimed. “I hated you! You were the obnoxious class clown! I couldn't believe I liked you like that! But… I really wanted to…” Keith trailed off.

“Wanted to what?” Lance asked flirtatiously. Keith smirked at him.

“After that, I really threw myself into my training to distract myself.”

“You mean the whole time I was trying to catch up to you and get you to notice me, you were trying to get away from me?!” Lance cried with offense.

“I guess so,” Keith laughed, throwing his arms over Lance’s shoulders. “But you’ve got me now.” 

“And I am never letting you go,” Lance held him fast and kissed him again. 

“You already kissed me there. Doesn't count as a checkpoint,” Keith joked.

Lance raised one eyebrow and dropped to his knees.

“Whoa… Someone is gonna see us,” Keith warned.

“Let them look,” Lance said, pushing up Keith's shirt and tugging down his pants an inch so he could plant a lingering kiss next to his hip.

Keith watched silently. Lance looked up at him after, still on his knees.

“I'm ready to leave whenever you are,” Keith said.

Lance jumped up and kissed him against the wall. Keith didn’t care who saw. 

 

Keith wanted to sneak out unnoticed, but Lance insisted they return to the table and say goodbye properly. Pidge smirked knowingly at them. 

“They’re totally gonna ba-” Hunk came up behind her and put his hand over her mouth.

“Later, guys!” He smiled while Pidge flailed in front of him.

Keith would have been embarrassed at how obvious they were being, but after years of watching Lance leave with other people, he was finally the one going home with him. He was overcome with happiness and affectionately squeezed Lance's hand as they left the restaurant.

 

Lance held Keith with one arm and struggled to unlock his apartment with the other. Keith nipped at his neck impatiently. Once inside, Lance kissed him with his full attention. Keith kicked off his shoes and helped Lance shrug out of his jacket, letting his own on the floor in the entryway.

Keith grabbed Lance’s wrist and dragged him into the bedroom, slamming the door behind them. Lance pushed him against the closed door and kissed him hard. Keith pulled off Lance’s shirt then jumped up onto him, wrapping his legs around his body. Lance leaned him against the door and kissed him again. He slipped one hand under Keith’s shirt and the other down the back of his pants. Keith gasped for air and clung to him tightly.

Lance carried him to the bed and set him down on the mattress. Keith kept his legs wrapped around the man above him, forcing their bodies together. They kissed drunkenly. 

“Touch me,” Keith breathed. Lance tugged at the top of Keith’s pants until the button yielded. Keith breathed into Lance's ear as he gripped him. 

Lance stood up to take off his own pants then stripped Keith completly naked. He fell back on top of Keith and pressed their lips together.

“Hey, lemme try something,” Lance said and put their cocks together, stroking them both up and down.

“Ah- that’s good...” Keith groaned and lay back with his hands on either side of his head, writhing at the feeling of Lance’s hand on him. Lance let out a slow breath as he watched Keith beneath him, still unable to believe any of this was real.

“What are you looking at?” Keith noticed him staring.

“Just you,” Lance breathed, totally smitten.

“You gonna fuck me or what?” Keith asked impatiently.

Lance eyes lit up. He quickly put on a condom and lubed up.

He sighed as he carefully slid into Keith and began to move. “Mmm- Keith… That okay?” 

Keith just moaned in response. They’d had sex a few times but were still feeling each other out. Tonight though, Keith was more than a little buzzed. He wanted to get fucked.

“Lance... Fuck me,” he said firmly.

“Huh?” Lance stopped and looked at him.

“ _Fuck_ me,” Keith repeated, gripping one of Lance’s wrists. Lance didn’t need to be told again. He grabbed the back of Keith’s legs and pinned his knees by his ears, nearly bending him in half, and thrust into him so hard that the bed frame rattled against the wall. 

“Ah- Yesss…” Keith moaned and rolled his head back, letting Lance do all the work.

Lance pulled out for a couple breaths then stood on the side of the bed. 

“Flip over.” 

He pulled Keith to edge of the mattress, gripped him by the hips, and fucked him from behind. Keith’s body jerked forward with each of Lance’s thrusts.

“Ah- You’re so deep…” Keith groaned, gripping the sheets. 

Lance grabbed a handful of Keith’s hair, pulled his head to one side, and pressed his cheek into the mattress. Keith moaned feeling Lance’s weight on top of him and his cock hitting deep inside of him. The sound of their bodies slapping together turned him on as he started to lose control. He was nearing the edge, his breath ragged against the sheets, when Lance slowed and nearly pulled out.

“Ugh, fuck... You feel too good,” he panted.

“Lance…” Keith whined.

“Oh shit, you close, babe?”

Keith nodded with a moan.

“Face me. I wanna see you.” Lance flipped Keith over and put a pillow under his hips for leverage. He crawled back on the bed and entered him again. Keith reached down to touch himself, but Lance grabbed his hand and pinned it over his head, taking Keith’s cock with his other.

“I got you,” he breathed. 

“Ah- Lance... Ah- fuck... don't stop… Ah-” Keith whined, much more vocal under the influence.

“Oh my god, Keith…” Lance strained, trying not to come from the sounds Keith was making. 

_Hold on… He’s so close…_

He stroked Keith’s cock with a firm rhythm and kept pushing into him. Keith moaned louder with each movement until his breath caught in his throat. His body tightened under Lance, and he cried out, shooting white streams over his stomach. Lance had a full view of it and came a second later, thrusting without restraint into Keith, then collapsed on top of him. 

“Oh my god... That was so hot,” Lance panted into Keith’s hair. Keith clung to him, still moaning from the vestiges of orgasm.

_I am definitely getting him drunk more often..._

 

They cleaned up and lay in bed together. Keith was starting to drift off against Lance’s chest when Lance squirmed around to look at him.

“Keith…” Lance sounded unsure. “Are you really not my boyfriend?”

Keith laughed inwardly.

“I told you I'd think about it,” he teased sleepily and snuggled closer to Lance.

“Seriously, just tell me what I have to do,” Lance pressed him, brushing a lock of black hair out of Keith’s face.

Keith only smiled and kissed him in response.

_Lance, you idiot..._

Lance pouted quietly then shrugged like he didn't care either way. “It's cool, we can just be fuck buddies. But don't catch feelings, Keith.”

“What no!” Keith sat up in a hurry looking worried. “I wanna be yo-...!” 

Lance grinned at him, and Keith knew he'd been played.

“You jerk…” Keith growled.

“Say it, Keith!” Lance sang.

Keith sighed and rolled his eyes. “Ugh… Lance, I wanna be your boyfriend,” he muttered reluctantly.

“Awww,” Lance sat up and kissed his cheek. “I’ll consider it,” he said, playing aloof, and casually lay back against the pillows with his arms behind his head.

“What?!? You can't just-” Keith momentarily panicked. “Ugh! You're _unbelievable!_ ” He vented.

“Hah! If you think I'm unbelievable, you should meet my boyfriend,” Lance said with a sideways grin.

Keith slowly turned red, realizing Lance was talking about him. He tried to say something but found himself speechless. His anger faded, and he looked at Lance with a small smile and soft, puppy eyes.

“There’s that look that I’d die for,” Lance said quietly to himself.

Keith heard him. He hid his face in one hand and peeked at Lance through his fingers.

 

_He's the absolute worst…_

 

_But he’s also the fucking best._

 

_And he's finally mine._

  
 

   


  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End...
> 
> ...sort of. This AU has been growing! There's more angst, fluff, and you guessed it, _smut_.
> 
> Klance adventures continue:  
> [ Please Switch Responsibly ](http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/23732940) \- One-shot. Everyone is a switch. ;)  
> [ Please Get F*cked Responsibly ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10841472/chapters/24067320) \- Prequel to PDR, Lance's back story (LanceLot w/klance overtones, darker, explicit)  
> [ Birthday Sex ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11653680) \- One-shot for Lance's birthday  
> [ Please Sext Responsibly](http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/26645964) \- One-shot. Long distance relationship and other life stresses, major relationship developments  
> [ Red](http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/26829663) One-shot. THEY GET A DOG!!! Literal fluff.  
> [Please Menage a Shiro Responsibly](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12032556/chapters/27270585) ...You can guess from the title. Surprisingly angsty. Cannot stress enough how explicit this one is. >_>
> 
> ARTWORK!!!  
> [Pidge's Photos](title=) From Kelse_draws on Instagram. Check out they're work [here!](https://www.instagram.com/p/BVGYeZlFiAj/?taken-by=kelse_draws)  
> See the final note below for links to all artwork. There's more amazing stuff on the way! I'll post it below as it comes in and on my tumblr and twitter too. _If you're taking commissions, let me know!_  
>  Tumblr: @enjayas Twitter: @enjayas_writes
> 
> AND FINALLY...  
> I have a confession to make...  
> I don't actually drink. In fact, I've never even been drunk, even though I am well, _well_ beyond the drinking age. Yet here I am writing a fic that revolves around heaving drinking... All those years watching (saving) my friends when they got fucked up has finally paid off!  
>  I made up the cocktails before a couple of the chapters... They're awful. My roommate who taste-tested them for me said so! ;)
> 
> I feel like this this fic is just another drop in the Klance bucket, but I just wanna say:  
> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! THIS HAS BEEN A BLAST!  
> EVERY COMMENT, EVERY KUDOS, EVERY MESSAGE MEANS THE WORLD TO ME!!! <3 <3 <3  
> I HOPE YOU ENJOYED READING THIS AS MUCH AS I ENJOYED WRITING IT!!!
> 
> ALL OF MY KLANCE LOVE
> 
> \- enjayas
> 
> P.S. check that word count. You got slow-burn memed ;)

**Author's Note:**

> ART!!!  
>  **1**  
> [ You love me... like this ](http://bit.ly/2Aq2nG8)From @kraftypants on Tumblr who captured this scene PERFECTLY.  
> [PDR Comic!](http://bit.ly/2zK4zUU) Just the first two chapters for now. Maybe more scenes later!  
>  **4**  
> [ The Selfie ](http://bit.ly/2ByrT9t)There's the pic that did Keith in. From @v-0-3 on Tumblr.  
> [ Give Me Space ](http://bit.ly/2je2D1s) From @artsy-stargazer on Tumblr.  
> [ Give Me Space Part II ](http://bit.ly/2jcT6YP)Second part from @artsy-stargazer. Poor Keef, my heart... :'(  
>  **6**  
> [ Never Catch Feelings for Straight Boys!!! ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/159472434674/please-drink-responsibly-chapter-6) Commission from @elany on Tumblr.  
>  **7**  
> [ I'll Never Get Over You ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/159396452224/purpleneutrino-im-never-going-to-get-over) Commission from @purpleneutrino on Tumblr.  
> [Game Night](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160599992149/ultimatesweetvengeance-art-inspired-by-this) Fanart from ultimatesweetvengeance on Tumblr! Fanart is the highest honor. Thank you so much!!  
> [ You'd be the best boyfriend... ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/162672706999/i-met-nargharts-at-the-anime-expo-voltron) Met @nargarts at a Voltron cosplay gathering and she presented me with this.  
>  **8**  
> [ Come Dance With Me?](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160073076609/please-drink-responsibly-chapter-8) They both wanna dance but all they're doing is dancing around each other!! Even Keith's _hands_ are blushing! I can't!!! From @clionadraws on Tumblr  
> [ Dancing at The Wormhole ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/158969377829/amazing-commissions-from-catfishdraws-of-keith) One of my favorite scenes from @catfishdraws on Tumblr.  
> [ The Kiss ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160683194829/aloeviera-please-drink-responsibly-commission) I have no words. aloeviera on Tumblr captured the tension and raw emotion of this scene so well.  
> ["Come get me, Lance."](http://bit.ly/2h50Gaa) THIS LOOKS LIKE A BOOK COVER. I AM SHOOK. From @EvinDERP on twitter. Will post tumblr link when she posts it.  
>  **9**  
> [ The Voltron Squad is a hot mess. ](http://bit.ly/2iTAhwa) The perfect time to run into Shiro! From @bowiesnippleantennae on tumblr. Oh my lord...  
> [ Go-Go Daddy Shiro ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/159929856274/go-go-daddy-shiro-please-drink-responsibly) Omg. Look at him. JUST LOOK!!! '>_> From @Fibug on Twitter  
> [Keith on the Go-Go Platform](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/161623468284/smitty-mouse-drunk-keef-from-badsuki-s-please) Booty like POW! From smitty-mouse on Tumblr.  
> [ Keith is soooooo drunk! ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/160315540724/kukkiia-commission-for-badsuki-for-her-amazing) From @kukkiia on Tumblr  
>  **11**  
> [ Looking at You](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/164077177909/zuzarti-a-quick-fanart-for-badsukis-klance-fic) Fanart from @zuzarti  
>  **12**  
> [Sure Sounds Like I Won](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/162110137679/inkymint-a-commission-for-chapter-12-of-please) From inkymint on Tumblr/Twitter. She's a klance staple.  
>  **13**  
> [Pidge's Photos](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/161669357164/klance-instagram-posts-from-please-drink) From Kelse_draws on Instagram. Check out their work [here!](https://www.instagram.com/p/BVGYeZlFiAj/?taken-by=kelse_draws)  
>  **Extra**  
> [ How it all starts ](http://bit.ly/2xLjq1h) A couple shots from the notebook where I plotted this story out. Looking back, it's kind of crazy that I managed to turn this garbled mess into something halfway decent. :)  
>   
>   
>  Tumblr: @enjayas (formerly badsuki)  
> Twitter: @enjayas_writes


End file.
